Full Circle
by BreezeInMonochromeNight
Summary: He's lost some 70 years in the future. She's supposed to help with that, but has some demons of her own to deal with. He's vital for the Avengers Initiative. Maybe, just maybe, it'll all work out. StevexOC.
1. It's Not the Way That I Want It

Disclaimer: I don't own Cap...supersighface.

**Please read:**

**So...I really, really wanted to get this story started after seeing the Avengers. I love them all, but Cap still stuck out to me, and was just generally adorable and hilarious.**

**I'm not giving up on my Stark/OC story 'Stereo Love', I promise. I have ideas, and I have chapters written/ready to be tweaked. I just thought it'd be way more fun to see Riley in the form of present-day cameos (in this story) and then go back and see what made her the person she is by the time this story happens. I'm working on that story as I type this one.**

**Long story short, just bear with me. :)**

**This is slightly AU and takes place at the end of Cap and right before/early on in the Avengers.**

**...Ok, maybe a little more than slight. But for the most part I'm following the canon. Heh.  
**

* * *

"So that's really him, after all this time, huh?" The female agent mumbled more to herself than to her colleague.

Her question, while not unheard, only earned her a nod and a small smile from the older agent in the room. She was definitely curious, but nowhere near as awestruck and speechless as her companion.

More time passed as the pair occupied the room in silence. Complete and awkward silence. The female agent hated the discomfort of it. It was not that she didn't like peace and quiet. The problem was just that Agent Coulson, while quirky in his own way, was not typically this quiet. She was used to getting a clever, smartass response by now. In addition the thawing and comatose Captain America currently occupying the bed did not ease her discomfort.

This had to stop.

"You're practically giddy right now, aren't you?"

Silence. Nothing. She could swear her eye was about to start twitching.

Deciding on a little good-natured ribbing, she glanced over at Coulson again.

"I really hope you don't have those cards with you right now." She recalled their previous conversation over how big a deal this was.

Without missing a beat, the older agent shot back a simple, unreadable "And if I did?"

"I don't think harassing Sleeping Beauty here for autographs so soon is exactly going to make him feel comfortable with his...situation."

"He'll adjust."

"If the shock of the reality check he's going to get doesn't kill him first, then maybe."

"That's why we have this room set up. We're going to break it to him slowly."

"So I guessed. However, if he's as legendary as I've heard, I highly doubt he's that...gullible. I'm willing to bet coffee on it."

"..."

Back to silence. She mentally sighed and slumped in her seat.

_'He is quite the site to see' _she mused to herself after a few minutes. And he definitely was. Tall, blonde, solidly built, handsome. He'd definitely turn the heads of the other female agents. '_I wonder what color his eyes are...'_

She stopped herself right there, inwardly cringing at thoughts. _'...Way to beat Phil at turning the creep factor up.'_

Finally, the female agent stood, temporarily giving up on both Coulson and Sleeping Beauty. This had been going on for quite some time, and she couldn't take it anymore.

"Speaking of coffee, I'm going to get some before I have a conniption. Need anything?"

Reaching into his pocket, the older agent pulled out a piece of sketchpad paper and handed it to his young colleague.

"Take this and give it to Weapons and Equipment. They'll take it from there."

Agent Amy Irving sighed heavily at the weirdness of it all and left Coulson to watch the Captain, his file folder and the sketch paper in hand. Not being able to resist glancing at it, she opened the paper slowly and couldn't help but shake her head and grin at the image.

"Giddy fanboy."

* * *

"Told you so." Amy said with a laugh to Coulson, looking at the security footage of the very much alive and perturbed Captain Rogers plowing through agents and out of the building. He had gotten out of the building with such ease to the point it was almost sad.

"At least he lives up to expectation. Fury was afraid he may have been a little worse for wear after all this time." Coulson replied calmly.

"That is true. At least now I can see why my grandfather was so impressed. He would always tell me all of these stories about him..."

It was true. Her beloved, late grandfather had never failed to tell stories of Captain America. Even as she got older, would tell her of the man behind the mask as well.

And as much as she wasn't willing to admit it, there was a little adoration down in her heart for the Captain, too. Anyone that had that level of respect from her grandfather...

Both agents then turned their eyes to the current camera trained on one Steve Rogers in one of the briefing rooms. His shoulders were slumped, and it didn't take to genius to see that he looked like a man who had truly lost everything.

Moments passed until she finally decided to ask the big question. "So...that only leaves one thing: What's S.H.I.E.L.D going to do with him? I mean, he is still a person, after all."

She could swear a ghost of a smile crossed Coulson's face. "That's where you come in."

"Excuse me?"

"That's why you were given his file. If you had read the fine print of the assignment, you would already know that it's your job to acclimate Captain Rogers to present time and bring him up to speed."

She opened her mouth to reply, but he quickly cut her off with a calm, knowing look that screamed _'skimming doesn't count'_.

She eventually sighed and spoke again. "You _can't _be serious. I'm actually on babysitting detail?"

"Not really. But, if you prefer you could be. You're more than welcome to go speak to Stark." Amy could have sworn he almost grimaced.

"...Touché." Amy cringed. She couldn't really stand Tony Stark the few times they had crossed paths, and truly had no clue what her sister had seen in him at one point in time. "I guess I have quite a bit of homework, then."

* * *

After a few days of pulling records on Steven Rogers, Amy finally felt ready enough for their first confrontation. It had been a seemingly tedious process at first, but as she found out more and more about Steven Rogers, the more intrigued she became. Like her, he was an avid baseball fan. Not surprising, but at least she could maybe make some kind of relatable conversation with him about something other than the weather. In addition, she would never have pegged the war hero an art student, ever. In an even more interesting find, she had stumbled upon a photo of what must have been his "before" self. The difference was startling. She sometimes wondered, while looking through all of his records, if that little guy was still in there somewhere.

She had decided to dress down and out of uniform today, in hopes that Rogers wouldn't feel as cornered. The very last thing she needed was for the super-soldier to get defensive on her. Wearing simple skinny jeans and a plain, white v-neck accompanied by tan, leather riding boots and a leather bomber jacket with a scarf, she felt almost naked without her usual sneak-suit. She had even ditched her typical bandana and pulled her 'long-ish' brown hair back into a messy ponytail. She found herself almost nervous approaching the retro-style gym. She was nervous that things would not go so smoothly. On top of that, some part of her wanted the person her grandfather spoke so highly of to be the same after all this time.

She followed the sound of connecting fists until she found Captain Rogers practically destroying a punching bag over by the boxing ring. Amy quietly made her way over to him and just watched in fascination for a few minutes, until he took the bag completely off of its hook and sent it skidding across the floor.

"Impressive."

Steve's head jerked in her direction, eyes not hiding his surprise at all. After a moment, however, he rose to his full height and simply walked past her to the bench, and his gym bag.

Finally, he responded. "Did Fury send you to get me back in the real world?"

"You could say that, sir." She wasn't going to be informal with him. Regardless of the fact that he looked like he was in his mid-twenties at the most, much like her, this man was almost quadruple her age.

"Just Steve, please. And with all due respect, ma'am, I think I'll adjust on my own..." He trailed off for a second, recalling some of his more unsavory experiences over the past couple of days, and added "...eventually, anyway."

Amy laughed lightly and smiled gently at the man in front of her. She'd never seriously been called ma'am before. "Just Amy, please. And I can tell you're much more unsure of that statement than I am."

He began removing the athletic tape from his hands and stuffed it in the bag. "I just...I don't even know anymore."

"And that's precisely what I'm here to help with!" Her smile widened.

She didn't expected that to convince him, but she didn't expect him to just completely shut off towards her. He grabbed his bag and began to walk off from her, out of the gym. In passing, he told her "I'm not going to be anyone's burden. Not again."

This was not how things were supposed to go. She didn't need to see the tinge of sadness in his eyes to know that he was just being genuinely considerate and not just stubborn. Not wanting to let all of her cats out of the bag, but definitely not wanting to completely screw up her job, she quickly turned on her heel and followed him. "Please wait!"

She almost had to jog to keep up with his quick stride. Finally, she was able to grab the wrist of his free hand and stop on her heels to get his attention.

However, she didn't expect him to be _that _hard to stop. She didn't know if even he knew his own strength. Amy quickly found herself stumbling forward and braced herself to face plant on the floor. She'd be damned if she didn't pick the worst time to be uncharacteristically ungraceful.

The expected impact never came, however. Two arms caught her around the waist and helped her back to her feet. She wasn't really used to human contact, and promptly turned a quite intense pink in the face.

"Ma'am, are you alright?" A concerned Steve asked, pink tinging his own cheeks as well.

She pulled back quickly and huffed, annoyed with herself. "Okay, look. Just hear me out. I was assigned to help you out by Director Fury. I'm not denying that. But it's not just that!" She paused, hoping this would help her more than hurt. "Colonel Phillips would never forgive me if I didn't at least try to help you and return the favor. I've heard the stories about you, and what you've done for people, and it'd be wrong not to."

Steve's brows shot up. That did just the trick. Now he was interested. Amy almost mentally high-fived herself.

He took a step towards her, confusion and sadness lacing his features. He needed to know.

"How do you know Colonel Phillips?"

"How would I _not _know my own grandfather?"

* * *

**And here you go. I'm not good getting things kicked off, but I think this is better than usual. Let me know what you think, love or hate. Like I said, I'm just getting into writing again now that I'm done with undergrad (see my profile), so I apologize if it seems OOC or stiff.**

**If I get enough go ahead to continue, it will definitely pick up. And you'll get to see about as much from Steve as you do Amy.**

**Until next time (hopefully!),**

**xBreeze :)**


	2. It's Just the Way That I Need It

**Ok...so...wow, guys. I really appreciate the reviews and everything! You have no idea!**

**Special thanks to LoveLive218, AngelVamp6688, Archer83, crystal-roses13, LittleApril, RockinRathbone'sGal x, stuffoflegends, ren-hatake, K, babyhilts, jaejoong1, Little Weasley Girl, and AnaleighJames for reviewing! I love getting reviews! They inspire me to keep going. :3**

**Archer83: Hehe, we will see what happens. :)**  
**ren-hatake: Thank you ma'am! You hit the nail on the head of what I'm trying to do. :D**  
**AngelVamp6688: I've seen it twice, too! And I'm going at least a third time...I caught sooo much stuff I missed the first time.**  
**AnaleighJames: Can I just say that your review made me squee? You're so sweet! Thank you! ^o^**

**Also, I'm going to try and update every other day. I would have this week/past weekend but I was out of town and only had my phone, which decided to be annoying. Siiiigh.**

**ONE LAST THING! I got a lot of favorites/alerts on this story, and while I'm not asking for reviews, I DO like to hear input! So review, PM me, something. I can't make it the best story I possibly can if you don't let me hear your thoughts! ^_^**

**Also, fixed the typos in the first chapter.**

* * *

"How would I _not _know my own grandfather?"

That single sentence gave Steve goose flesh. He felt a drop in the pit of his stomach almost instantly and it became incredibly hard for him not to completely lose his composure. So many thoughts started racing through his head. The confession from the woman that stood before him had completely thrown him off guard. He had originally wanted to just let her down easy and get back to his current room at the headquarters building he'd woken up at. As awkward as this new world was, he really didn't want to have to be led by the hand and burden anyone, ever. Pre-experiment, Bucky had always been that person. Bucky had always been there to defend him in fights – if you could _really _call them that – and had always included him. He hated feeling helpless, he hated needing help, and the second he had stepped out of that experiment chamber he vowed to never be that person again.

In short, Steve just wanted to be left alone. There was nothing here in this world that was familiar anymore. Everything was cold and every person he'd ever known was gone. He hated it. It was enough to make him feel physically sick just thinking about it.

And yet, here stood quite the violent reminder of everything that was gone. He didn't notice it at first, but as he looked at her – _actually _looked at her – there was no mistaking those eyes. Those brown eyes were looking back at him with that same look Colonel Phillips always seemed to have; that same look of absolute seriousness and mild exasperation. It felt as if he was being stared down by a ghost of what once was.

Finally finding some kind of power to speak, he kept balling up and releasing his fists, inadvertently. He needed to hear it again. "You're his...Colonel Phillips'...granddaughter?"

"In the flesh! He's half the reason I am what I am now, Captain Rogers. So, please, just let me help you." She never lost her smile towards him. Steve could see her eyes soften. They were almost twinkling. It wasn't hard to see the absolute adoration she had for her grandfather. He had highly respected him, as well.

"I can't...I just don't want you, or anyone, to have to drag me through any of this." Steve almost mumbled, turning his head away from her gaze.

"I don't think anyone's going to drag you anywhere, at least not literally." She said with a small laugh, and continued. "But look, I'll admit I was pretty weary of this idea myself. However, after meeting you, I can honestly say I want to do this." It was half truth, but only meant to put him at ease.

He paused for a moment and finally let out a slightly defeated sigh. "Alright."

* * *

The ride back to the S.H.I.E.L.D headquarters was surprisingly not awkward, at least for Amy. Neither person spoke during most of the drive, but the silence was comfortable. Steve kept twiddling his thumbs and stealing short glances at the woman driving. She was undeniably pretty, and had a feminine softness about her, not really what he had pictured any of Colonel Phillips' progeny to be. The way he remembered his old superior, he would have guessed his granddaughter would have been a little more...harsh...to say the least.

Amy had driven her own sleek, new SUV, which she thought was a little less intimidating than the issued cars. While she still wasn't necessarily too thrilled with this assignment, she did have a certain respect for Captain Rogers and didn't mind being around him at all. He was stubborn, yes, but she was almost certain is went hand in hand with his uneasiness of this whole situation.

Finally, Steve decided to break the silence, while they waited at a stop light. "I just want you to know, ma'am, that if you end up not wanting to deal with me, I don't mind staying where I am. I don't want to trouble you."

"I couldn't say no if I wanted to. Like I said, I've been assigned to do this, but you don't seem like the type to cause trouble...unless this whole humble 'ma'am and sir' thing is just a very convincing act." She winked at him.

His brows furrowed, not quite catching the joke. "I'm not acting. I was raised to treat everyone like I wanted to be treated. Granted, that didn't work out some of the time, but I'm not trying to fool you." He sighed, recalling some of the many times his ideology did him more harm than good.

"Easy there, I apologize if I insulted you, Captain. I was only joking. I'd be more shocked if you _didn't _carry the old-fashioned mannerisms you do." She tried to add a little humor to it, wanting to it ease the tension.

Now he really was confused. The edges of his mouth curved downward, slightly. "My mannerisms are old fashioned?"

"Oh, believe me when I say they're _quite _old fashioned. No normal guy today acts the way you do, and if they do it's most likely an act to hide ulterior motives. If you don't believe me, just wait until you meet Mr. Stark." She could not contain the sour tone of her voice. "But trust me, I mean that as a compliment."

He perked up a little, and at the mention of the name Stark he felt a little hope surge in him. He couldn't say it was the first time, after finding out Amy's bloodline. Maybe, just maybe..."Thank you. And Stark? Do you mean Howard...?"

"No. Unfortunately, I mean his son, Tony." She could feel the headache coming at the mention of him.

"He had a son? I'd never had pegged him as the marriage type!" This was the most excited she'd seen the Captain. "That's just...something, to say the least. Can you tell me anything about him? Or anyone else I knew? Maybe someone named 'Peggy Carter'?"

"Not right offhand, I can't. I'll see what I can do, though."

"What about Tony Stark?"

"Tony's a fu–" She wanted to tell him point blank, but decided against it. "Let's just say he's quite hard to deal with and obnoxious, to say the least. I'd go as far as to say he's your polar opposite, in both the physical and in personality. I think now may not be the best time to fill you in." Amy almost wanted to laugh. She had a sneaking suspicion, with some of the information she had obtained backing it, that the Captain would get right under Tony's skin. To say that would be a guilty pleasure would be a gross understatement.

"Oh." He couldn't help but feel a little let down.

Amy couldn't help but dislike to see Captain Rogers look so...defeated. It tugged at her heart, the same as when he'd looked so broken after being brought back to headquarters after he'd woken up.

She ended up doing something completely uncharacteristic of her, at least for a stranger. Amy placed her smooth hand on his calloused one and gave it a small, reassuring squeeze. Steve stared at her, a little surprised at the contact.

"Everything is going to be alright." She said with utmost sincerity. "You're going to be okay, Captain Rogers. I'll help you find whatever you're looking for. I promise."

* * *

Upon arrival, Amy followed Steve back to his room at the headquarters building. He couldn't shake how nervous this girl, almost a whole head and a half shorter than him and much smaller, made him feel. He couldn't shake the feeling that this wasn't a good idea, and he really didn't know how to feel about Agent Amy herself. Yes, she was Colonel Phillips' granddaughter, and yes she didn't appear to be a threat. She was even trying to be helpful on top of it all. But still, something was...off. Something in his gut still didn't feel quite right.

They made their way to his quarters, if you could call it that. It was a glorified dorm room, really. With it's white walls and tile floor, however, it looked like a hospital room more than even a dorm room. It had to be uncomfortable. She never liked staying here unless she had to for those very reasons.

"I don't see how my sister lives here year round. I think I'd go mad." It was true. Her sister had basically taken up residence with S.H.I.E.L.D, wherever she was needed.

"You're leaving?" He honestly didn't like the thought of being alone again. Her presence was kind of comforting. She wasn't so cold and sterile as everything and everyone else in the building, and it definitely made him feel less awkward.

"After I get my things that I left in the room I was using, I am. I was planning on taking you back with me. I thought Brooklyn would be a little more comfortable for us both." She was being honest. There was no way he was comfortable staying here and she wasn't a fan, either.

"You're from Brooklyn, too?" He was just genuinely curious.

"Born and bred." She grinned. "I have to say, it's kind of nice to know that the legendary Captain America has similar roots."

* * *

They were back on the road again. Amy's townhouse was only a short distance away from the Manhattan headquarters. She'd grown up a Brooklyn native, and had never strayed too far from that, even going to college at NYU. She was generally a homebody (most of the time, anyway). Her home had been her project for the longest time, and she wasn't going to lie that having a guest was kind of exciting for her. She really didn't keep a lot of close friends, with her line of work and everything, so having Captain Rogers staying indefinitely didn't sound too bad to her.

She had always hoped that Riley would be a more frequent guest after their abnormal meeting. Even after only a short time, she had come to adore her older half-sister and really wanted to get to know her. Sadly, however, that didn't seem to be the case. Riley, aside from being under observation after her_ incident_, was an extremely talented mechanic and engineer and was constantly working on something for the agency. Amy had an inkling that Riley's time with Stark, even though she didn't ever talk about it, attributed something to that. Riley did, however, leave her pet project in Amy's garage and worked on it when she did stay. Not that Amy minded, she herself was decent with working on cars and bikes herself and enjoyed watching and helping when she could. She just hated how closed off Riley had become in the year and a half of knowing her, and wondered what had gotten her to this point. She frowned at the whole situation as she mulled it over in her head.

"Are you alright, ma'am?" came a concerned voice from the passenger side of her SUV.

"Oh! Captain Rogers. I'm sorry, I just have a lot on my mind." She gave him a small smile. "And please, just Amy. You're the one that's older than me, after all."

This time it was his turn to smile a little, and she couldn't help but notice how handsome he was when he did.

'_I kind of hope those aren't so few and far in between,'_ she thought. '_Stop being creepy!'_

"I'm sorry Amy, old habits I guess. Could you just call me Steve, then? I'm not really for formalities, either."

"Okay, then...Steve." He like the way his name rolled off of her tongue. She had a no discernible accent, but every word was enunciated clearly and crisply. However, Steve thought the lightness of her voice made her pleasing to listen to, something akin to tinkling bells. As she kept talking, more nervous rambling than anything, he could feel himself relaxing back into the seat and staring out the window at the rain that was coming down.

He ended up dozing off against the window.

* * *

After driving for what seemed like an eternity with all the late afternoon traffic, the pair finally arrived at Amy's townhouse. The white, stone house was nestled on a quaint, quiet little street. She parked out front cut the engine. The rain had only gotten heavier, pouring at this point, and Amy dreaded getting the bags inside. Even more so, she dreaded waking Steve up. He looked like he was actually sleeping well. Begrudgingly, she put hand on his shoulder and gently shook him. Surprisingly, he was a light sleeper, and woke up fairly easily.

"Sorry about that."

"It's alright. I didn't mean to fall asleep," he said, sitting up.

"You needed it. Hope you don't mind a little rain, though. My sister's car is in the garage and all. Just let me get the bags."

Before he could say anything, Amy was already out of the car and grabbing the two large duffel bags out of the back seat. She shut the door and headed for the front stairs, Steve not far behind her.

Grace, however, would still not be on her side this day. Her boots did not have proper traction for such heavy rain and she found her self slipping backward once they hit the slick stone stairs. For the second time that day, she braced herself for a fall that would not come. Her back connected with something solid and she felt arms around her waist.

Steve caught the agent easily. His hands lingered for perhaps a second too long, however. Her body felt soft to the touch and he couldn't say minded the contact, at all. It was the most intimate physical contact he'd ever had with a female, besides a kiss, after all. He helped her stand again and took the bags off her so she could unlock the door.

Neither hoped the other could sense their embarrassment.

Once inside, Amy made it her first priority to go get something to dry off with. She turned to face Steve before heading off.

"Thank you, back there. Looks like I owe you again." She managed a tired, crooked smile.

There was an incredibly awkward pause between the two. Steve seemed really uncomfortable after looking at her and after a moment of this standstill, she raised an eyebrow.

"What's wrong?"

"Amy, your shirt..." Steve trailed off and lowered his gaze, glancing down at his shoes.

Amy looked down at her shirt, expecting mascara or makeup trails or something of the sort to be staining it. What had actually happened was much more humiliating. '_Ohhh. Shit. So that's why he's uncomfortable.' _Her shirt was literally plastered to her body, leaving _nothing _to the imagination, and showing the full details of her white bra.

"Just...feel free to explore...I'll be back in a sec...Steve...please." She mumbled and as she pulled her jacket closed, face growing increasingly red before scurrying off.

_'Can I please not make an ass of myself in front of this guy, just once? Please?' _She silently pleaded as she made her way to her bedroom.

Steve couldn't help but peak around the house. The den had elements that reminded him of his time, and he silently wondered if the rest of the house felt like that as well. For the first time since he'd woken up, he actually felt comfortable. More importantly, he felt a little less..._lost._

Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.

* * *

**So...chapter two is a a go! Feel the filler tension, muahahaha. ;) Again, I'd love to hear from you, I have so many ideas where this could go and the in-between to get there.**

**I promise this will get going soon. I hope you all don't hate this one!**

**'Till next time,**  
**xBreeze**


	3. We All Fall, Sometimes

**Oh, my! Thank you for all the lovely reviews! You guys are amazing!**

**I want to thank Leysha Gisel, AnaleighJames, BTownGirl, Jen Lennon, damnitsfiction, ren-hatake, K, LoveLive218, AngelVamp6688, Magical Faerie, Little Weasley Girl, Ravenclaw Slytherin, aaroniteXkryptonite, and jackiez32 for reviewing! I love you guys!**

**jackiez32: Your wish is my command. A little bit of technology mishaps, just for you!**  
**Little Weasley Girl: I totally saw your comment and instantly thought of Ron saying "Red vines, what the hell can't they do?" from A Very Potter Sequel. X3**  
**K: Doing my damndest to stay away from Mary Sue waters! :)**  
**ren-hatake: You...you mind reader, you! :O**  
**Jen Lennon: Totally cool, I'm just glad you like it! ^o^**  
**AnaleighJames: You're so sweet! Thank you! The plan is Amy thinks Tony's a narcissistic pig and Tony...well, is Tony. And my grammar and punctuation is what I'm trying to work on. I'm a science student, so my writing skills have gone to pot. That's my main purpose for writing fanfiction, besides the fun of it all. That means a lot! :D**

**Alsooo, this one's for ren-hatake! She's an amazing author, and let's face it, we need more Steve fics! ^_^**

**Finally, I'm SO sorry this is so late, I've been dealing with sick dogs for awhile now. :( But I made it about 3 pages longer than normal and tried to pack a lot in, so I hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

It was another sleepless night for Amy. She was awake at three in the morning, everything spinning around in her head. The night terrors she had continued to plague her, so the thoughts were a welcome distraction. Anything to calm herself down.

The past few days had been a little hectic for the agent, at best. She had been doing everything from cooking to showing Steve how certain things work (which only went well about half the time) to getting the soldier clothes he'd be comfortable in as well as other amenities he needed. By far the most annoying thing to deal with been been getting his military backpay set up to a bank account. He'd never been declared dead, at least officially, and somehow had continued to amass a small fortune over the decades he'd been missing.

That had been an absolute paperwork nightmare in more ways than one, to say the very least.

On top of all that, her PTSD had not gotten any better over the past few years. She had tried therapy as well as medication, but neither really seemed to do anything significant in the way of relief. She finally sat up, resting her back on the upholstered headboard of her bed, willing the involuntary trembling of her body to stop. Her hand absent-mindedly went to her damp neck, wiping some of the sweat away. It wasn't really surprising to her to tear tracks on her face, either. None of this was uncommon for her, after all.

"You'd think with the monsters you've tangled with, you'd be a little less afraid of your fucking dreams at this point," she said out loud to no one in particular. She ended up huffing and eventually throwing a pillow at the wall.

She really hoped she hadn't made a lot of noise and woken up the Captain with any of this.

Little did she know, she wasn't the only one awake at this time of night...

Shaking the notion, she turned her thoughts back to her current house guest and the situation in general. All in all, she was kind of enjoying the mildly domestic routine a little. She'd grown up with an incredibly independent mother and grandfather. That, along with always being the athlete and a slight tomboy, attributed to her never really do anything like this before. That was not to say she wasn't neat or proper. The contrast in her outward appearance and her personality often threw people off. Then again, with her job, having the element of surprise on her side never hurt.

It had also been odd to have a have Steve around the house, and it had been even weirder to have someone so...genuine around the house that actually seemed to take an interest in what she had to say.

She had yet to get him to really talk about himself, however. He was generally pretty quiet and courteous and really didn't have a lot to say. It almost made her nervous. She didn't want to make him uncomfortable nor did she want him to think she was stuck on herself with her rambling.

She'd be the first person to admit her people skills had declined ten fold after college. Her stint in the military and subsequent recruitment into S.H.I.E.L.D hadn't helped, either. She really was only around Phil usually and Riley sometimes, but other than that her personal human contact was pretty nonexistent. It wasn't that she disliked people, but her career path could make an introvert out of almost anyone.

It didn't help that Captain Rogers had the physique and looks of a god and mannerisms that could put the most refined gentleman of today to absolute shame. It was such a nice change from modern men. God, she didn't like being hit on or treated like a piece of meat when she could easily incapacitate them. It was so hard to tolerate.

Captain Rogers, however, was incredibly charming and refreshing.

There was no doubt he'd leave a glaring distaste of other men for her after they parted ways.

So, there she laid, wondering how to at least make things a little happier and warmer for the Captain. It was actually starting to irk her. Eventually, another thrown pillow joined the first on the floor.

She was officially in an even worse mood than before. She just wanted things to go smoothly with this assignment. Even more so, a small part of her was hoping to make a friend out of Captain Rogers. Though she would never admit it out loud, the hero worship her grandfather had instilled in her hadn't quite died completely as she had grown up. It felt almost surreal, this entire situation.

She lightly banged her head against the headboard. She honestly wish someone would draw her out a solution to all of this.

Steve had been reluctant to go out in the world, so that was out for now. She'd need to coax him out of his shell first, and that'd take time. She needed a way to do that, too.

She sighed, and picked up the book on technical photography she'd been reading, clicking the bedside lamp on.

It was going to be a long night.

* * *

Sleep seemed to be eluding everyone on this particular night. Steve Rogers lay in bed as well, arms behind his head, trying to get back to sleep.

It seemed no matter how many blankets he curled up under, he still felt cold. He knew it was just in his head, but that did not help any. Every time he'd fall asleep, he'd dream about the cold water as it filled the cabin of that Hydra plane...

He couldn't go back to that now. He shivered at just the passing thought of it.

The past few days had been odd, so odd. He finally felt more comfortable, yes, but definitely more lost too. Amy's house had a distinct old world charm and it definitely made him feel more at home than that other place.

However, the whole learning and acclimating process had not gone as well as he'd hoped. He'd completely destroyed Amy's microwave, putting a first through the front of it out of shock at the _'ding'_ that it made. He chalked it up to nerves, and his were almost completely shot. They had been since he'd found himself in this bizarre situation. She hadn't been mad, though, and he was grateful for that. Angry women with access to guns made him nervous. She had just touched his shoulder and told him 'maybe next time'. She actually laughed a little at the whole situation.

To him, Agent Amy was quite a dame herself. It was kind of hard not to notice, with what she 'relaxed' in around the house. She typically always wore what she called 'tanks and tees' around the house and some of the most scandalously short pants he'd _ever _seen. He knew things changed, and people were generally more liberal now, but good grief.

However, he'd be lying if he said he didn't enjoy the view. The agent had quite muscular, smooth legs and a_ very _shapely backside, among other things. She didn't come across as dainty and fragile as some other women.

Her face, to him, was attractive as well. She was classically pretty, with or without makeup. When he looked at her oval shaped face up close, she had deep chocolate brown eyes and thick lashes to go with them. She had a small beauty mark on the outer corner of her left eye, which added to their allure.

What was the term Bucky had always used? Bedroom eyes, he was pretty sure. Amy had bedroom eyes.

Maybe it was the art student in him, but he noticed things. He noticed the shapes and shades that made up the world and everything in it. It'd be a waste not to appreciate it.

That being said, he found the curve of Amy's lips most appealing to him. She had those very full, cupid's bow lips like Peggy had been. They were perfectly proportioned like Peggy's, too.

They were almost like the same lips he'd gotten that one chaste kiss from so long ago...

He kind of secretly hoped Agent Amy would wear red lipstick, one day. That had always been a...thing...for him. He really hoped that hadn't gone out of style, too.

_He wanted to be the one to smear that lipstick, if she did._

Incredibly awkward repressed thought and unfamiliar heat in certain places aside, it had crossed his mind more than once that he'd enjoy drawing her. She'd make a lovely subject for a portrait.

He was making his own ears red at this point. He felt quite ashamed of himself for thinking that way about Amy. He was still human in some ways...

Moving on.

It was kind of nice, to him at least, that she didn't mind being dressed down around him. Even if her clothing was a bit risqué to him, it still helped. So many women he'd known back in his time had been about appearances, yet Amy didn't mind hanging around him with her hair sloppily pulled up and an unmade face. It was a good thing to him, as it made her more much more approachable for him.

The oddest thing to him about the woman occupying his thoughts, though, was the fair sized, ink-black tattoo centered between her shoulders, near her neck. It wasn't anything he'd seen before, and it looked more like a seal for something than anything else.

When he asked her, she had mumbled something about questionable choices and touched the mark almost timidly. He didn't push it anymore after that, the subject seemed to really make her close off to the world for awhile.

He did feel guilty for looking at her the way he did at times, but it wasn't like Steve couldn't appreciate a beautiful dame just because he'd never been intimate with one. He did. He knew the mechanics of it all, the science, too. However, he would be kind of lost on what to _do _exactly in _that_ situation.

He'd always believed what his mother had instilled in him, to wait and find the right person to dance with. That wasn't going to change, unsettling thoughts or not.

His mind drifted back to the past. He had wanted that dance with Peggy. He still did. He had made a promise to her and failed to come through. He missed Peggy, so much. He missed everyone, but Peggy...

There was so much left unsaid between them. Would they have wound up together? Would they have gotten married? What would their wedding night have been like if they did? He even wondered if they'd have had children and grandchildren. It kind of plagued him, the lack of closure. It was hard to stop the thought that he should have been married with children, his life lived out to the fullest and happiest...hopefully with Peggy.

But here he was, almost a century old and not looking a day over twenty-five, at best.

He'd spent so long as that scrawny, sick kid from Brooklyn that never got a second glance from anyone. He wasn't even expected to make it to his teenage years. And for Peggy to notice him, to be comfortable around him, and to accept him super-soldier or not, had meant a hell of a lot to him.

To this day, he still wasn't even completely comfortable with his enhanced form. He'd never had the time to take to really get used to his new skin, his new body. He still felt like that socially backward, ignored little guy from before.

He had fallen so hard for Peggy then, it almost physically hurt to know it'd never be. She was most likely gone now, too. Amy had been eager to help him search databases for familiar names. While they had uncovered a lot, there still wasn't a lot found on Peggy Carter yet and Amy had only mentioned a few stories of Colonel Phillips in the past few days.

All in all he was frustrated, in more ways than one.

He eventually got up to get himself a glass of water. He figured that might help him calm down a little. He honestly wanted to go downstairs to the room Amy had made into a gym and hit the punching bags until his knuckles bled. He didn't want to wake Amy up, though. He figured she needed sleep after dealing with him.

As he headed down the hall, though, he didn't really expect to hear what he did. There was sobbing coming from Amy's room, as well as groans of what sounded like pain. He was instantly on alert, and quietly made his way to her cracked door. She usually shut it at night, so he absently wondered if this was a normal occurrence.

Glancing in, she saw the poor girl twisting and turning in a tangle of her bed sheets. He was tempted to wake her up but didn't know if it was the right thing to do. He didn't even know if this could be considered an invasion of privacy. Before he could think on it anymore, he saw that Amy started to stir and he quickly and silently ducked out of the room.

* * *

Breakfast that morning had been awkward for both parties. Currently, the two were sitting beside each other at the bar in the kitchen, silently. Amy was hoping she wasn't too loud, with the noise in her sleep, and that Steve slept through the night. She was seriously considering trying out different medications again. Everything she'd tried previously had made her either incredibly sick, lethargic or both. She couldn't risk that with her job.

Steve, on the other hand, felt intensely awkward and guilty for thinking so inappropriately of a girl who was probably seeing someone, or maybe even engaged.

He inadvertently frowned at the thought of her and another man, together. It was a selfish thought, but he liked having her attention and just being around her.

"Everything okay, Steve?" The question jostled him out of his thoughts. They had been eating in silence, each lost in their own thoughts.

"Yeah, I will be. Just a lot on my mind." He gave her a reassuring smile.

Amy's tension eased a little. "You know you can always talk to me if you need to. I may not be much, but I can at least listen." She meant it. Every word of it.

"I will, I promise." He paused for a minute. "It's just dreams I'm having, I guess. They're so vivid, that sometimes I feel like I'm going through everything again. It's the same dreams over and over, and I can never change the outcome, no matter how badly I want to."

Her brow furrowed. So, he hadn't been sleeping either. This may not end well, at least for her.

"I'm really sorry, Steve. Is here anything I can do? We have doctors on staff at headquarters if you'd like to see one. I'll go with you, if you'd like."

"I don't think that'd do me a lot of good. I don't think there's a lot that could be done for me, anyway." He glanced back down at his food.

There was a lull in the conversation as the two went back to eating.

Amy didn't like admitting her personal issues out loud. To her, if she admitted it, it was a real problem and she'd have to do something major to stop it. It was a silly notion, but she stood by it. However, this was a special circumstance. He needed someone to relate to.

She finally spoke up. "Uhm, if it helps your feelings any, I know where you're coming from. I have the same kind of nightmares, too. I keep reliving the same moments and I can never change how horribly they end. I feel like I'm losing my mind, sometimes."

He hated to tell her what he saw, but he wanted her to know. "I know this won't sound right, but I was kind of curious. I heard how...upset..you were last night, and I almost woke you up. You had me worried." He couldn't make eye contact with her, no matter how hard he tried.

The young agent flushed deep scarlet, the shame surging through her. "I am_ so_ sorry you had to hear that. I didn't know I was that loud."

"It's okay, I was up anyway. But...if you don't mind me asking, what happened to cause the nightmares? I'm sure you know my story by now, but I really don't know a lot about you."

She was weary of divulging too much, so she knew to choose her words carefully.

"I...was in the military for a short while before S.H.I.E.L.D got a hold of me. Marine Scout Sniper. I was always a good shot, so school and training was pretty easy, and I have grandpa to thank for all of that. It just...things got really bad early on when I was first deployed and...I just can't..."

She felt that hot sting of embarrassment and tears of anger prick away at her eyes. With the hand of the arm currently propped on the table, she pinched the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes. She felt absolutely pathetic trying to control herself from having a breakdown in front of Steve like this. She had _never_ talked about any of this before to anyone, not even Riley, and it brought a flood of emotions back. That all-to-familiar trembling was coming back, and she was determined for the Captain not to see it.

Steve was completely shocked at that discovery. He had not expected her to have followed in Colonel Phillips' footsteps; the military didn't seem to fit her personality to him. Maybe he was wrong, but something felt off.

There was no time to worry about that now. With the situation at present, he had never really comforted a female, aside from his mother when his father died. Now it was his turn to help her a little, experience or not. Or, at least he'd try. He scooted his barstool a little closer to her and timidly brought a large hand to rest on her back. He could feel the trembling coming over her. He gently rubbed his hand along her back, tracing small circles with his fingers occasionally. He kept going with his ministrations until the tremors eased a little.

They stayed liked that for quite some time, words unneeded.

* * *

Steve came back into his bedroom from the bathroom connected to it. He'd needed a long, hot shower to relax his muscles from the workout he'd put himself through after Amy left to run errands. He still had Peggy on his mind, and now the strange and mildly disturbing morning with Amy was pretty prominent in his thoughts as well. He felt helpless, in both cases, and it made him incredibly angry.

He went to sit at his desk, wanting to find the book on the aftermath of World War II Amy had given him and finish reading it. She had told him few days prior that she had obtained a history degree in college along with her photography degree, and that World War II had been her favorite subject. It was nice to know they had something they could talk about. She knew all about the subject, and he had lived it.

He did not expect to see what was currently occupying his desk, though.

On the cherrywood desk lay a plethora of art supplies. There was everything he could dream of, from premium colored pencils to items for sketching to items for charcoal drawings. There were even two thick, professional sketch pads full of paper. The cherry on top was that he recognized the name and the logo. It had been the art store he'd always gone to when he saved up enough money for supplies when he was younger. He touched everything gingerly, feeling like a kid in a candy store.

This was way, way better to him than candy, though.

His eyes finally came to rest on the little folded note with '_Steve' _written in neat cursive on the front. Opening it, he read the same neat handwriting slowly:

_'I really can't thank you enough for everything this morning. I needed that more than you could know. It's to my understanding that you're a quite talented artist, so I hope you like this and take it as a token of my appreciation. _

_- Amy'_

He couldn't contain the megawatt smile on his face; there was no way he'd be sleeping tonight.

He honestly could kiss her breathless right now.

_Not that he'd mind, really._

* * *

**So, I apologize again for being so late with this.**

**It may seem too slow, but I'm trying to build a friendship (at least an uneasy one) between these two.**

**I also ended up with writers block for this fic due to another story idea. Sorry 'bout that! I got really absorbed in my Suit of Iron, Heart of Glass story.**

**The other Avengers and the main plot/Tony and Amy tension and fighting/Riley/etc. are coming.**

**'Till next time!**  
**xBreeze**


	4. Things Aren't Always What They Seem

**Thanks to Little Weasley Girl, Archer83, Steph the bat 11, WhatsGoingOn, ConfettiRiot, brucy LittleMissMia123, ren-hatake, garnet86, Magical Faerie, Jen Lennon, aaroniteXkryptonite The Dark side of the Mind, Invader Ivy, Lyssa, and jackiez32. You guys are too much!**

**Archer83: I absolutely love hearing feedback from you. You don't mind point out what's good/what you like and that helps me go in that direction. Also, thanks! They're all doing a lot better now. :)**  
**ConfettiRiot: Glad to know I'm on the right track. ^_^**  
**LittleMissMia123: Squee! I'm glad you liked it, I really don't know much about specific art supplies and was hoping I didn't screw up there.**  
**ren-hatake: Thank you! 333 And I agree, I think I'm going to make the tension be the death of Steve. Or at least some of morals. Muahahahha.**  
** jackiez32: With all that's happened (the the note), I have to say your review made. my. dayyy. I lost everything on my computer, and then just happened to see your review and perked up and started writing again. You are amazing, miss. 3**

**Everyone Else: I can't thank you all enough for sticking with my slow ass. You're all absolutely divine and wonderful. xo**

**_*PLEASE, PLEASE READ*_:**

**I am SO sorry about being late, again. My laptop decided to die (of all times...) and well...I have no luck when I really need it. I've done all of this on my iPhone. SOOO, that being said, I'm going to boost the rating to M and give you two mild fluff/very mild smut chapters in close updates that still slightly advance the plot, while I work on re-writing the real chapter 4...or rather 6, now.**

**Everyone is still in character (I hope). I kind of wanted to explore the more intimate side of Steve, not Captain America's, personality.**

**I hope that's a fair trade...and I hope it's not horrible. This was done pretty quickly (one and a half afternoons).**

**Please don't kill the authoress. T^T**

**6/24/12 edit: Spelling and grammar errors have all (hopefully) been fixed. Thanks for the heads up kristendotcom! ^_^**

* * *

_**Warning: Light smut ahead. Skip to the break if you don't like.**_

_***Several Months Late****r***_

_His sculpted body tensed as delicate fingers slowly, agonizingly traced small patterns, going lower and lower. She was sitting beside him, lips swollen from all the kisses he'd left on them, but still smirking. Her hair covered her face, obscuring it from his vision. She always did this; always started at his neck, fingers and nails idly and lightly dragging down to his chest. _

_He sucked in a breath, and knew he was powerless like this. But he was clever; he had a plan in mind, like always. He waited until she leaned in to nip at his neck to pull her close to his powerful chest and flip her much smaller under frame him, pinning her. The sly smile and wriggling in retaliation only served to arouse him more. His pink lips crashed against her full, rosy ones to stop her from getting the upper hand again, while he used one of his knees to part her legs._

_The look she gave, full of want for him, for this, was enough to send him over the edge. So, with a fluid snap of his hips, they became one. The rhythm pushed them both into the throes of ecstasy._

Steve Rogers awoke with a flutter of his eyelashes at the morning sun shining brightly through the windows. He felt wonderful, as light as air. The nightmares and the coldness of that cabin, along with thoughts of lost life and time he'd never have back, had slowly been replaced (more often than he'd like to admit) with inadvertent, quite steamy thoughts of a certain brunette agent just a few doors down from him. The fact that she was the one who was currently occupying his racier dreams, and not a certain woman from his past, would concern him had he not been still half asleep. In his present state, he happily went with it.

He stretched his tall body, arching his back and curling his toes. The small pull on his tense muscles felt like heaven; the cool sheets did wonders to calm his racing pulse. This was the closest thing to paradise he'd ever known.

Life, even just surviving, had been a lot harder growing up as a child during the Great Depression. Being a _sick_ child had been nearly impossible.

Removing his face from being buried in the pillows, he glanced down at himself. What he found caused a husky, almost breathy, laugh accompanied by something between a toothy grin and a smirk.

It'd happened again, and he'd lost count how many times this was. The Amy in his dreams had done it to him. She was such a tease in his dreams, so seemingly in control and dominant, even when she was pinned under him. It damn near drove him insane. It didn't help that his hazy, still-sleepy mind let him indulge in the thoughts without any guilt or shame at the moment.

In his current mind frame, he was silently contemplating doing something he'd never done, or even thought of doing. The household he'd been raised in had been highly religious and repressing, and it was engrained that you did not indulge in such vulgar activities for worldly pleasure. It was nothing less than sinful.

If he had been anymore awake, he'd have been disgusted with himself. Yes, he had been in the military, and yes, he had seen some raunchy things. He wasn't exactly a _blushing_ virgin (at least not all the time), though former descriptor was accurate. He was just so..._curious_. About everything. He had gone his entire life with out any sort of intimate contact, and it ate at him a little. He still didn't have a clue when it came to women, nor did he really have a clue about his own bodily responses.

Using that as his reasoning, he convinced himself to do a little 'exploring', of sorts.

He closed his eyes and let his hand slide up under his plain white shirt, letting his fingers trace over the ridges of his abs. He kept his breath in check and continued to lower his hand, under the sheets and even further under his boxers. He hesitated for a moment, gliding his fingers slowly over the curve of his hip. A small moan escaped his lips. After regaining a little composure, he almost timidly gripped his hardened flesh. He began his ministrations, filling his thoughts with the dream again, and quickly found that the pleasure he was rewarded with was absolutely mind-numbing.

Unfortunately, though, the unfamiliar feeling shocked him into wide awake mode.

Letting go, he let out an embarrassed groan. His arched hips fell back on to the bed, abruptly stopping everything.

What the hell had he been thinking? It wasn't right to degrade someone like that, not to him. He had survived sickness, bullying and the subsequent beatings, Dr. Erskine's experiment, fighting countless HYDRA soldiers, and was still just fine after being thawed out from an icy prison after the better part of a century. His character hadn't been affected by any of it, either.

_...So what the hell was this lone woman doing to him to get in his head?_

Feeling completely humiliated and ashamed, he quickly got up, and made a bee line for the shower.

* * *

Recurring incredibly awkward mornings aside, Steve felt a little more comfortable in the current millennium. He had also grown much more comfortable with Amy, in the sense of having a someone to talk to and not feeling like she had to lead him by the hand through everything.

The super soldier had become quite a bit more independent. He'd gotten a bike, a vintage Harley-Davidson, and thoroughly enjoyed touring Brooklyn on it. Even more, he loved just getting out of the city sometimes. Things were definitely different, but the exhilaration he felt on his bike never failed to make him happy.

The pair still did quite a few things together, though, from cooking to long conversations and stories to watching old war documentaries and movies he could relate to.

He'd particularly enjoyed _Cinderella Man_, and one series he and the brunette had gotten about halfway through. _Band of Brothers_, he'd believed was what she called it. The young Captain had been thoroughly engrossed in that one, and was curious to know what happened to the soldiers of Easy Company. It reminded him of himself, Bucky, and his unit of mismatched soldiers. He'd wait on Amy to see the ending, however. He liked the time they had been spending together, and she seemed to get as equally engrossed in it as he did.

Occasionally, she'd even be stirred enough tell both war and personal stories about her grandfather, and he would fill in the blanks of the ones he knew. She'd found his memory of her grandfather addressing him as the 'Star Spangled Man with a Plan' particularly hilarious; she had laughed to the point of tears.

In short, they'd become fast friends, bonding well over what little they had in common.

However, in the few months he'd been living there, he was still struggling with his _other_ feelings about the woman he'd been living with that had slowly come into bloom; the ones that left him a bit..._stiff_...in the morning. His feelings refused to die down, and he had really no clue on how to handle them. He couldn't say he was in love with the younger woman, and the interactions between them weren't really anything like he'd had with Peggy. They were much more casual and friendly. He just knew he really liked her and was incredibly attracted to her, more than a friend should be, and didn't know how to act on it.

The things his body had been doing in opposition to his mind (and moral fiber) because of his feelings confused him horribly at times.

Further complicating matters was the fact that in his time, relationships and anything intimate were much more of a sacred matter. It was all just so...different now. Completely different, and in a way, the polar opposite. To boot, he still had no clue if there was another lucky someone else for Amy.

...That notion made him inadvertently frown. That wasn't the first time it had crossed his mind, and it probably wouldn't be that last.

Pushing the thoughts aside, he concerned himself more with making a sandwich. That was one thing he absolutely loved about present day. The types of food to try were almost limitless; he did enjoy trying it all. And with a tenfold speed metabolism, he could put away quite a bit of it too.

Steve never forgot how much of a luxury all of this excess was, though. He'd had it pretty hard as a kid. He'd grown up in a poor area of Brooklyn that had been hit harder by everything, and sometimes, any food had been the luxury. Looking back on it, with the medicine he'd needed to just help make breathing easier, it was a bit of a miracle he was alive at all.

The soldier was jarred out of his thoughts by soft, muffled curses and the lock to the garage door turning. Was Amy back already? Usually when she left before he even woke up in the mornings, she didn't return until late.

Naturally, he was surprised when a fairly tall blonde carrying a small, steel case and a variety of files and folders came through the door. She shut it with her foot and did not even seem to notice that he was there as she continued her grumblings about_ 'having too many damn keys'_.

His uneasiness escalated, but nonetheless he was polite. "Do you need some help, ma'am?"

The other blonde glanced up towards him, and gave him an slight smile. It was clear that she was not very weary of him, if at all.

"No thank you, Captain Rogers. I'm just dropping some things off for A.I." Her voice was quiet, calm, and almost soothing. It was just a bit too cool and disconnected for him. Unnerving, even.

"Oh." His tension eased a little. "How do you know my name? And A.I...?" He left the last question open ended, not wanting to sound completely daft.

"You've been the making waves at headquarters since we found you in the ice, Cap, not to mention your little bust out. Both pretty noteworthy, if you ask me." She paused, setting the parcels down on the counter. "And unless I somehow procured keys to another house, which in all honesty isn't unlikely, A.I. is my sister, Amy." The odd woman's voice had the faintest traces of humor in it.

_Oh. _So _this_ was the older sister that Amy spoke so highly of. Or rather, half-sister. Based on looks alone, he really would have never seen the resemblance. This girl was tall, maybe half a head taller than Amy, and more slender. Definitely pretty, with a grace the brunette didn't really have. Her skin was porcelain, and her shaggy, short mop of hair was even paler; platinum locks peaked out from under her knitted beret. Those fair features made her eyes shine an almost inhumanly deep blue.

He thought it was just a little amusing at how opposite the siblings were.

Trying to ease the tension he felt, he picked up the conversation again. "So you're Riley." He smiled, extended his hand. "Amy talks about you, a lot. It's nice to finally put a face to a name."

The other, smaller blonde walked behind the counter to the soldier and took his hand, shaking it. "Nice to meet the legend himself, as well. I have to say, I'm a big fan."

The soldier's ears tinged red a little, and he brought a hand to the back of his neck. "I'm flattered."

Riley actually smiled a little and leaned against the island counter next to the Captain. It didn't take a genius to see that he was flustered. Deciding to curb her bluntness a little so that he wouldn't feel as awkward, she took a different route in the conversation.

"So how's 2012 treating you? Definitely not 1940 anymore, eh, Dorothy?" Her voice did not change its tone, and she remained completely straight faced beneath the jagged bangs that framed her well-defined features.

It took just a split second for him to catch the reference. When he did, he couldn't help the laughter that erupted from him. He needed that. He was nearly thrilled that he finally heard a joke he actually caught the punch line of.

Catching his breath, he actually answered her question. "It's definitely...eye opening. I don't think I could handle it if it wasn't for your sister. She's...she's something else." His features softened at the mention of Amy.

Riley instantly picked up on his tone and body language. Was this just the repressed forties in him or was he that _easy_ to read? She knew infatuation when she saw it. She had lived it, after all. "I agree. I have to admit I didn't expect her to be this...docile, but I'm glad. She's been a lot happier since she met you, and a hell of a lot less banged up."

He definitely did not miss the tail end of that last statement, and it definitely drew up more questions. He'd often seen Amy come home with little scratches and bruises when she was gone for extended periods of time, some times worse than others. He never questioned it, but that didn't mean he didn't want to know.

Steve was a bit hesitant to ask, but curiosity got the better of him. "What exactly does Amy _do_, Riley? I see how tired and sore she always is after she's been gone, and I don't like it."

Riley sighed a little, crossing her arms and leaning into the counter more. "I can only tell you this since you're already..._involved_...with S.H.I.E.L.D, but...you've only met off-duty, sweetheart Amy. She's essentially one of the best spies we have, save for probably Natasha...who's quite a bit more ruthless. They can both blend in to almost anywhere, do almost anything. Give or take quite a beating if they need to. You'd be surprised how many 'people of interest' seem to get off on that." Riley spoke thoughtfully, staring off into space, like she was talking to herself. "Helluva shot too, Amy. It's really impressive, but I think I'll stick to my blades."

She definitely knew how to throw the super soldier off guard. Something was not normal about her. And blades? If she wasn't a spy, why would she need blades? Who – _or what_– exactly was this woman?

"So...what about you? You're a spy, too?"

She actually looked him in his eyes, and he was slightly taken aback by the emptiness in her own. They looked soulless, almost like a china doll. If the hair on the back of his neck wasn't standing before, it was now. This woman was just slightly creepy to him.

"Nah. Not my thing. I'm one of the heads of weapons and development...but honestly...let's just say I'm a more of a science experiment." She seemed to be choosing her words a little too carefully.

"I definitely know the feeling, believe me." He meant it. There were some days he was shocked he could reach the top cabinets in the house, or finish a workout without an asthma attack.

Riley, without warning, extended her hand with her palm open and fingers slightly curled, towards the bowl of apples sitting on the counter opposite them. With ease, one of the apples popped out of the bowl and zipped across the room and into her hand.

If Steve hadn't been standing right there, he'd have believed what just happened was a clever magic trick. He was completely lost for words, staring at the smaller woman slack-jawed as she began to munch on her apple, looking positively bored.

After taking another bite, Riley answered his unspoken question. "I could tell you were incredulous, Captain Rogers. I'm a little more dangerous than you think. _We're _a little more dangerous than you think. Things aren't always what they seem."

With that, the woman bid him a short farewell, to which he only nodded, and she left as swiftly as she'd came.

He stood there for a moment, silent, tying to process what exactly just happened.  
_  
And here he didn't think things could be any more bizarre._

* * *

**There! Again, I hope it's not too horrible. I hope to hear from you, reviews let me know what I'm doing wrong and right, which means quicker chapters.**

**I'm working on Riley's back story leading up to the events of Full Circle as well, if you like her and want to check it out. ^_^**

**Also, I was thinking of doing a post-Avengers Clint/OC fic. Possibly an dark/human/non-agent OC, which is new territory for me. I love ClinTasha but, there's soo many (really good ones) on here already. Any suggestions for what you'd like to see? I'd like to start taking suggestions.**

**I'd love to hear them, and will give credit where it's due! :)**

**'Till next time!**

**xBreeze**


	5. The Effects of Alcohol

**Thanks to Archer83, blown-transistor, ren-hatake, KillehKiwi, garnet86, Ravenclaw Slytherin, WhatsGoingOn, kristendotcom, brucy, and Magical Faerie for reviewing! I can't thank you all enough! ^_^**

**Archer83: Noted. I'm still working the kinks out, but I like the idea of possibly possessed!Clint causing a lot of said OC's past problems. Ugh. I have ideas but I can't get them straight. Your comment was super inspiring though. :)**

**Once again, this was done on an iPhone, please point out any errors. I go back and reread my work and edit, but if something's wrong feel free to tip me off.  
**

* * *

Things had gone wrong. Terribly wrong.

Amy made it home late that evening, anger coursing through her veins. The agent ended up slamming the door leading in from the garage and throwing her uncomfortably tall pumps down by it.

Simply put, she was enraged.

She'd never admit to the fear and shame that were rearing their ugly heads, though.

The agent kept her head lowered and pulled her dark coat closer around her, silently praying to get to her room before Steve saw her.

Things were not about to start looking up for her, though.

As she started to head up the stairs she ran right into said house mate, who was undoubtedly coming from the gym. She really just needed to get to her room. Only offering him a mumbled "Sorry, Steve", she brushed by him and was off like a shot.

The super soldier didn't like it one bit. The normally calm, friendly woman was completely out of character, frantic even, and he intended to find out what was wrong. He immediately turned and followed, hot on her heels.

Amy made it to her bedroom, slamming the door shut and locking it. She pulled her black coat off, tossing it to the floor. Her slinky jade green dress was ruined, soaked in blood that wasn't her own. That too ended up in the pile on the floor.

It didn't take long after that for her to hear a knock at her door.

"Amy? Is everything okay?"

"Fine, Steve, I'm fine."

"You don't sound fi-"

"Just _don't_. Fucking don't. I don't need your coddling tonight, _Captain._" Even Amy was shocked at the words she practically spat out and the cold, hard-edged voice that had said them.

It had never gotten this far...

The young woman didn't wait for a reply. Stripped down to her underwear, she made her way over to her own en suite bathroom. She put her hands on either side of the sink, bracing herself and taking a few deep breaths, eyes squeezed shut.

Ruefully, _unwillingly _she looked up into the mirror and slowly opened her eyes.

The cuts and bruises were officially the least of her problems.

Deep burgundy orbs glowed back at her, hard and unfeeling. Slowly opening her mouth, Amy saw the four extended canine teeth, razor sharp and deadly.

They were same teeth that had torn out a grown man's jugular only a short time prior.

...No, _it _had definitely not gotten_ this _bad before.

The brunette had worked so hard to keep this side...this _demon_...in check, and it only angered her more that she was slipping now. She had made her deal with death some time ago, and she was beginning to sorely regret it.

She turned her back to the mirror, and much to her dismay, the inky coils that formed the mark on her back had partially unraveled and their thorns were practically _embedded _into her skin.

The brunette stumbled over to the shower and turned the water on. She needed to calm down, and fast. Still in her undergarments, she sank down under the steady stream of cold water and drew her legs up to her chest, just wanting to make it all go away...to go back and change _everything_.

* * *

Steve stared at the locked door in shocked silence. He stood there for quite some time, unable to process the events that just transpired, until he willed himself to retreat to his room.

Where had _that _come from?

* * *

A few hours and one long shower later, a much more rational and normal looking Amy emerged from her bedroom some time well after midnight. She was still angry about the events of the day, and now the guilt from blowing off Steve earlier was weighing in on her conscience. She made sure she was the only one up (at least she thought so, Steve's door was closed and there was no noise) and made her way into the kitchen. The bruises on her cheek and shoulder had turned an ugly bluish-purple and her split lip had finally ebbed somewhat in its bleeding.

She just needed a drink...or five. She wanted to completely dull her senses and just forget everything: the sour turn to her assignment, her soreness, snapping off Steve, her unwanted feelings of attachment to him.

Everything.

Entering the kitchen, she pulled the near full glass bottle of tequila out of the freezer, momentarily pressing it to her lip and relishing the coldness of it. She unscrewed the cap off the bottle and took a swig of the liquid. The burn of the drink going down was intense, satisfying, and it hit hard. The brunette ended up sitting on one of the bar stools and resting her head in her hands.

* * *

Steve had been completely shocked and saddened at the incident between the brunette and himself earlier. He had just wanted to make sure she was alright and comfort her if she needed it, like he had done before. He had spent the time since sketching, trying to keep himself from thinking about everything. Seeing Amy so _absolutely livid_ like that had really bothered him.

Making it down to the kitchen for a glass of water, he stopped cold when he saw the woman in question in the dim light, slumped over at the bar. He cleared his throat to make himself known and she raised her head to face him, surprise on her face.

She swallowed hard, guilt churning in her gut. She couldn't meet his eyes. "Steve. Hi."

"Hey, Amy. I didn't know you were up. I didn't mean to...bother...you."

The sting of those words were much more potent than the sting of the alcohol, and he hadn't said anything with even a hint malice. Sadness was the only readable emotion in his voice. Tears were already pricking at her eyes, and the alcohol did not help to hold them back. On top of that, if anyone could make her feel terrible about herself and her actions, it was him. "You're fine. I promise."

Her words were ever so slightly slurred. Even if the fancy glass bottle hadn't been sitting on the counter to tip him off, that did.

"Are you...sure?"

"Yeah, I am." She paused for a moment, dreading addressing the pink elephant in the room. "Could we.._.talk_...just for a second. Please?"

He swallowed hard. He was good with confrontations, normally, but this was entirely different. He had no shield, and the only thing that felt threatened to him was their bond, their closeness. "I mean, I don't really know what to say. I don't want to make things even worse between us. You're really the only friend I have in this world right now, Amy, and I'd like to keep it that way."

With that, in her tipsy, mentally exhausted state, the tears that had threatened to fall finally did. She wiped her face furiously, silently pleading with them to stop. She didn't know he felt that way. The young woman stood and quickly closed the space in between them and wrapped her arms around the soldier's slim waist, burying her face in his chest and hugging him fiercely.

"I'm so, so sorry, Steve ." She mumbled it into his broad chest.

He was stunned silent for a moment, but ended up returning the embrace, mindful of his own enhanced strength. This felt...right. So right. He rested his chin on her head and stroked her long hair, inhaling the pleasant scent of whatever soaps she used. She smelled wonderfully soft and sweet. Floral-like, even. It was damn near hypnotizing to him. He'd never seen her wear her hair down, and he had to admit he liked it, even if it was damp. He was used to women, even Peggy, having intricate curls and whatnots that were nigh untouchable for fear of ruining them. Amy was just so...natural. She was natural, with no primped and proper exterior. Simple. He really liked that. He could relate to that.

He was so distracted that he didn't even realize this was yet another subconscious comparison to his long lost love.

He eventually moved and eased a lock of hair behind her ear; he'd always wanted to do that. The sight he saw made him freeze for the second time that night, however. He instantly went into 'Captain' mode , narrowing his eyes while inspecting the angry marks marring her normally smooth skin. She had a huge purple knot on her right shoulder. In addition, a bruise lined her jaw and a deep cut resided in the corner of her bottom lip, both on the right side as well.

Clearly, firmly, and suppressing the anger welling up inside of him, he spoke. "What happened?"

She sighed a little, looking up at him. That look alone let her know that he wanted an honest explanation, and he was going to get it. "I...I do infiltration missions for S.H.I.E.L.D. I had an assignment today, a small one. I needed to gain intel on an American extension of a potentially threatening Russian terrorist group, and our best agent for the job is already on assignment infiltrating this group back in Russia. It shouldn't have been a big deal, but I got compromised and, for the first time in a long time, someone got the jump on me. Bastard took a crowbar to me. Regardless of that, I shouldn't have taken my anger over my failings out on you." She turned her face away, injured side out of sight.

The super soldier frowned even more, now angrier that he was left in the dark. _So she really is a spy. _"Why didn't they send me in with you? I'm not useless, I could have helped."

"Steve, this was way too low threat to send someone high profile like Captain America in. You're much more valuable in the long run than an agent like me, so it would be senseless to risk anything with you." She tensed a little as his fingers traced the marks.

He didn't like that answer one bit. "Please don't prioritize me over yourself, or anyone. You're valuable. I'm sure your sister cares about you, and I don't know what I'd do without you." A pregnant pause. "Wait...how'd you get out?"

She wasn't that big of a woman, and if she was jumped, how the hell did she get out? It didn't add up.

"I did what I always do...I fought my way out. Sent them all to the morgue for my troubles." He could sense the acid tone in her voice.

Thinking back, he couldn't help but hear Riley's words echoing in his head again, ringing truer every time, answering his question with a simple _'we're more dangerous than you think'_.

Pushing all of that aside, he decided to drop the subject that had ruined the previous moment and tend to Amy's injuries. "At least let me help you tend to those."

Before she could protest, and insist that she was capable of doing it herself, Steve gently took her hand and led her over to the fridge. "Could you hop up on the counter for me?"

Amy attempted to oblige, but her sore shoulder inhibited her from boosting up onto the high counter. She ended up slipping and caught herself rather ungracefully, grunting in pain. She blushed a little when she realized she'd caught Steve's attention, and felt slightly incompetent. "Sorry..."

Steve sat the dish towel he'd found down and made his way over to her in a couple of long strides. "Do you mind if I..."

Her blush deepened. "Yeah, sure..."

Steve easily put two large hands on either side of her waist and hoisted her up on top of the counter. She mumbled an embarrassed_ 'thank you'_ and he only nodded as he made a makeshift ice pack with the dish towel. When he was satisfied, he turned attention to Amy.

"Could you tilt your head for me? I think that'll be easier."

Amy tilted the injured side of her face towards Steve, and he and he tucked her thick brown locks behind her ear again. He gently pressed the ice to her lip and jaw, earning him a small sigh of relief.

The pair fell into comfortable silence as he worked. He was so preoccupied with alternating the ice pack from place to place, though, he didn't realize how close he was to her.

Amy was _completely _aware, however. Steve was currently leaning against the counter, in between her legs, his hips rubbing against her thighs. The friction he caused when he'd shift around was ever-so-slightly maddening to her. His free hand had unintentionally come to rest on her upper thigh, fingertips brushing against the hem of her short-shorts. The pair were not too far from being nose to nose. This type of closeness was so rare that it was almost unfamiliar to her, but nonetheless welcome. Her whole body flushed. She hadn't _been_ with anyone since college; her five-going-on-six years dealing with her military and professional life, as well as her personal issues had hindered that. It may have been the alcohol, but the thought crossed her mind more than once that she wouldn't mind him being the one to break that unfortunate record.

Snapping out of her musings, deeming them irrational, she spoke. "Ahh, Steve...?" She glanced down at his hand.

He followed her line of sight down to his idle hand and found that it was his turn to blush. They were close –_ incredibly close_ – and he hadn't realized it. And just like that, he was back to feeling like awkward, scrawny, clueless Steve with a fire in the pit of the stomach that he didn't know what to do with.

He stumbled over his words, not really able to get anything out. Why was this so much easier in his dreams? Why couldn't he have been blessed with even a tenth of Howard Stark's smooth confidence?

Amy actually started laughing out loud at his current dumbstruck expression, as well as the events of the night as a whole. Here she was banged up, almost drunk, and puffy eyed from crying. In addition, she was dealing with a quite literal inner demon and having feelings for someone as old as her grandfather; a living legend right out of the history books who was only here by sheer miracle.

All in all, this was completely fucking ridiculous, and she needed a vacation. Desperately.

"Amy I really didn't...I mean, I wasn't trying to do anyt-" He was completely flustered and started to take a step back, but she caught his wrist.

"I wasn't laughing at you personally, Steve." She wiped her eyes, laughter dying. "The look on your face, yes, but not you. You act like you've never touched a woman before."

He only blushed harder. "I was waiting for the right person..."

Even in her hazy state, the light went off in her head. _'Oh God, he isn't just old-school. He's a virgin.'_ She instantly softened. She had never given a second thought about how much of his life before he was frozen was spent as a 'normal' person, that little guy in the picture she'd seen.

"Hey...it's alright. That's really commendable, y'know? Especially nowadays."

He looked back at her, almost shyly. "I didn't...I was kind of sick as a kid. Not even half the size I am now. ...And no dame wants to dance the guy they might step on." True, he'd said it before, but at least it was honest.

Amy looked up at him. "Hey, you don't have to explain anything to me. I know that people don't know how to appreciate a good thing, sometimes."

Oh, the irony of that statement coming from her.

A moment of awkward silence later, she slipped off the counter, intent on thanking Steve and going upstairs to sleep off the wild range of events she'd been through.

"Thanks for being...here. Now. You're a good guy. A great guy." She ended up tiptoeing and kissing him on the cheek before she left; there was no harm in boosting his confidence a little. "Please don't forget that." The agent started to head for the stairs.

The crooked smile that came over his face made Amy go just a little weak. She walked by him, intent on leaving the conversation right there.

However, she only made it a few steps passed him before she stopped, emotions winning over logic. Maybe it was the alcohol giving her confidence, fueling her decisions, but she needed to do this. Not just for him, but for her own sanity. "Oh, and Steve?"

"Yeah?"

Amy turned around quickly and grabbed the neck of his t-shirt, and pulled him down just enough to meet her lips. The kiss was slow, sweet and innocent.

Needless to say, he quickly responded, moaning shamelessly into her mouth at the much desired contact. One hand raised to cup her chin and the other came to rest on her waist, pulling her close.

She reluctantly broke the lip lock after a moment (that was much too short for him) and caught her breath.

"_That _is for the little guy."

He was so taken aback, that he almost missed the little tap of her finger right over his heart as she passed by again.

All Steve could do watch the small brunette as she left for good this time, running a thumb over his still tingling lips.

For the first time since he'd woken up, he felt a swell of hope in his heart. And little did he know, so did Amy.

* * *

**Don't worry, Steve's not going to be _that _soft much longer. ;)**

**Also, the new chapter for Welcome Changes will be up later tonight/tomorrow.**

**Reviews inspire me, so I'd like to hear from you!**

**'Till next time!**

**xBreeze**


	6. Expect the Unexpected

**Thank you to all my reviews and alerts and favorites! I can't thank you all enough! We're almost to 100 reviews in under 10 chapters and I almost can't believe it!**

**I'd like to thank PleaOfInsanity, Jayc Black, blown-transistor, WhatsGoingOn, Amber-Jade James, ren-hatake, JanFL, Ravenclaw Slytherin, Archer83, damnitsfiction, elmoisemo6, RebelRebel7751, RJ North, MrS mOOny86, Lightan117, goofygurly13, beccatt, akatsukigurl93, Prost, and the guests for reviewing! You seriously have no idea how happy I am with how much you all like this story!**

* * *

_Six days._ It had been six whole days since that intoxicating kiss Steve had received from Amy.

The entire situation had been thoroughly eating away at him for just as long as well. Amy had made no move to address what had happened that surprisingly wonderful night, leaving Steve completely clueless as to what to do next.

Did that kiss mean they were serious? Even Peggy had been a lot more straight forward with how she had felt about them than Amy...and that was saying a lot.

Peggy also never sounded like she wanted to tear him to shreds out of the blue like Amy did that night, either.

Steve sighed, pulling a t-shirt over his still damp form. He needed to go home, before he destroyed every punching bag this old gym had.

Everything involving women had been so much easier back in his day. Well...things were not really in his favor then either, but they were definitely easier. At least girls back then were honest about liking him or not.

_'Brutally honest.'_ He thought with a frown.

He hadn't seen the brunette in days, which was becoming even more frustrating for him. Either she was spending more time at S.H.I.E.L.D's headquarters to avoid him or...or...

Well, he didn't know yet. But something was definitely off. He gathered that Amy was bad at any type of confrontation that didn't end in a fist fight, but this was ridiculous.

"Something bothering you, Captain?"

Steve jumped at the sudden interruption. That voice...he knew that cool, calm, unnerving voice.

Turning, he saw Riley standing in the doorway, leaning against the frame.

"I-I...uh...was just working out some frustrations...M-" He paused, remembering to drop the formality when the platinum blonde chuckled slightly. "...Riley."

"I assume it's about you and my sister, then?" She quirked her head to the side smirked knowingly at the sight of the young man visibly tensing up. That was all the reaction she needed.

"That's what I thought." The young captain looked visibly uncomfortable, trying to form an explanation. "Don't worry, I'm not here about Amy. At least, not in that regard."

That alone concerned the super soldier. His brows furrowed in concern. "What's going on with Amy?"

Riley glanced up into Steve's eyes, running a hand through her shaggy hair. "Amy's...been compromised. On her last mission. We haven't heard from her in days...not even her partner."

The captain felt his blood run cold. "What happened? Is...is she...?"

Riley shook her head. "She's alive. There's no way they would kill her this soon...they're going to try to get information first." She honestly didn't know if the Russian group _could_ kill her, given Amy's circumstances.

Steve felt his fist clenching. "Torture?"

Riley frowned at the word, nodding. "More than likely. She was supposed to be willingly captured as per her mission dossier...but...this is bad. Really bad."

The super soldier felt his anger rising. "Then why is nobody in your agency going after her?! If there's a chance, you need to help her! _I_ need to help her."

Without so much as raising her voice, the engineer spoke again. "That's why I'm here, Cap."

Steve looked at Riley critically. "You mean..."

"Are you ready for your first mission in 70 years, Cap?"

* * *

Amy sighed heavily, staring up at the single flickering light in the windowless cell.

The brunette had taken to laying on the floor and staring at the broken light and daydreaming, since_ god knows_ there was nothing else to do in this _box_.

The young agent was supposed to have been captured in order to plant a few bugs around the Russian hideout - bugs that would transmit any recorded conversations directly to Natasha with information to hopefully,_ finally_ nail down Georgi Luchkov.

Initially, Amy had been fairly sure she would have been able to let her _other side_ run freely at the threat of capture and escape easily, but that was not the case.

No, Agent Irving's luck was not that good.

Her other half had been hesitant to make an appearance after that cold shower the last time _she _acted up.

And to top it off, laying on her arms that had been roughly cuffed behind her back was causing her backside and legs to go numb.

_Fucking perfect._

The brunette attempted to shift to her side and restore circulation to her stiff body, grunting in pain at the attempt. The Russians hadn't been above torture, resorting to electroshocks that had been powerful enough to cause splitting in the material of her sneak suit.

And she had really liked this one, too.

All of her shuffling around and noises of pain did little to help her. However, it did attract the attention of the on duty guard.

"Zatknis!"* The guard threw a beer bottle at the woman with enough force to shatter it.

Amy groaned in pain, and would have retorted in the little Russian she did know, but her voice cracked at the attempt. Her throat was so dry. She hadn't cooperated, so naturally she hadn't been given much in the way of food or water.

The young agent finally rolled enough to get on her side, tired and in dire need of an escape route.

Where was Phil when she needed him?

Or better yet, _where was Steve?_

* * *

Looking himself over critically, Steve still couldn't get used to the tight material of his new uniform that hugged every muscle almost just a little too perfectly. It was light and easy to move in, yes, but he couldn't help but feel naked.

The color scheme also left something to be desired, being all black from boots to mask. Even his shield had been stripped of its patriotic colors down to its original silver.

"Something wrong?" Riley's voice was barely above a whisper as she scouted the hideout from the pair's balcony position.

Steve found his ears going red, knowing full and well what Riley meant.

"I just...I don't know if this is really...me..." He really didn't want to sound rude, but if Riley really was in charge of designing his suit, maybe she'd listen to his input...?

"That's good to hear Cap, since this was just the prototype of your new suit. Not to mention, the person this suit was made for is actually a little smaller than you, so I knew it'd be a little snug...not everyone is completely jacked like you. Still, you can't just go rushing in unmasked and in your best flannel, you know. This was the best thing I had given the situation."

The young captain blushed fully now, completely embarrassed by Riley's brutal honesty. "I'm sorry, I didn't know...I mean with my shield and all..."

Riley still didn't look away from the scanning device she was using, focusing on mapping out the best way to Amy. "I'm giving it a fresh paint job, and I'd just barely gotten the old paint stripped off before Amy went and got herself into this fine mess."

Steve went to say more, but Riley held a hand up, asking for silence. She drew a throwing knife from a leg holster on her sneak suit as a guard passed by the door, waiting for the right moment to strike.

Steve, however, had other plans. Ambushing this place was not the best plan, and he intended to go with his gut. "We shouldn't just rush in. Nothing good will come of it." He kept his voice to a whisper, aware of how easy it would be to be noticed.

"I'm listening." Riley kept her gaze focused on the guards.

"Well, Amy was supposed to set up bugs in the place to get information on these people, right?"

"Precisely."

"Why don't you subdue the guard up here and secure the stairs. I'll take care of those point guards and give you time to search for any documents that might help your superior. Then, we'll make our way to Amy." Steve spoke with authority, confidence filling his voice.

Riley stood, acknowledging the plan with a nod and smirk. "Sounds like a good plan. Glad to be aboard, Captain." With a barely noticeable flick of the wrist, the platinum haired woman had embedded the throwing knife deep in the neck of her target. "Your turn." And with that, she was off like a shot.

Steve readied his shield, a smirk of his own developing on his face. "Believe me, I've been waiting for too damn long."

* * *

Amy heard the door to cell block area open and groaned. A guard coming in inevitably meant another 'session' that would leave the Russian organization with no information and her in a world of pain.

"I'm not telling you a goddamned thing." Her voice was hoarse and barely above a whisper. She kept her back to her captors, intending to be defiant until...well...she didn't know.

"Just save your strength. You're going to need it to get out of here."

The recognition of the voice sent a spark of hope through the brunette. She turned toward the voice as quickly as possible, with relief washing over her features when she saw the it's owner.

"Steve!" She croaked out the name.

He smiled at her, relieved to see that she was alive. "Shh. Don't try and talk, Amy. I'm going to get you out of this cell."

Amy shook her head. "The guard ran off with the keys. There's no way to get of here without th-"

However, the brunette's warning was caught short. Instead of finding the keys, the soldier simply broke the lock with little more than his bare hands.

"-or that. That works too."

Steve wasted no time helping the brunette up, slinging her arm over his shoulder and using his free hand to keep her upright. "We need to go, now. There's not a lot of time." He was blunt about the situation, ready to get the out of there and back to safety. The longer they stayed, the worse the situation was going to become.

As if on que, an alarm began to sound.

Amy looked at Steve, or rather, down at his side arm. "Then let's go. You help me out of here," She swiped the pistol out of its holster. "and I'll cover your ass.

* * *

Steve was reluctant to even take his eyes off of Amy the entire ride home.

The brunette was in and out of sleep, struggling to stay awake and talk to the other two people in the car; to assure them that she was fine.

Her attempted assurances fell on deaf ears, however. Steve was worried about the brunette regardless. He'd slipped the outer layer of the prototype suit off, wrapping it around the brunette in an attempt to cover some of the...less modest...tears on her suit. The young captain had pulled the agent in close, and Amy made no attempt to struggle against him. Instead, she willingly snuggled into his shoulder, actually relaxing in his presence. Steve found himself practically nuzzling the brunette, whispering reassurances about being '_safe now'_ in hear ear.

The pair stayed that way, with Steve keeping a close and protective watch over the brunette, as if she'd disappear again.

The entire time, Riley had been watching the pair in the rear-view mirror with a sad slip of a smile. While the white-knight act was a little stale to her, it was still, at it's core, very sweet. She was just glad the source was genuine. Then again, the blonde wouldn't have expected anything less from Captain America.

_At least one of them should be happy, after all._

* * *

Much to Steve's protests, Amy insisted on getting herself into the house. At this point, she was all but hopping (read: stumbling) on her good leg inside from the garage.

The brunette left the two blondes behind, mumbling something about dying of thirst and sticking her head under the faucet.

Steve turned to face Riley, locking eyes with the platinum haired woman and giving her a smile. They stood in awkward silence, until the platinum haired woman decided to depart. "I guess this is where I make my grand exit." In contrast to her words, though, she simply turned on her heel and headed for the door.

However, the soldier called out to her before she left. "I...thank you. Thank you for everything you've done."

Riley turned to look at the captain, raising an eyebrow. "What have I done, exactly...?"

The look she was giving Steve put him on the spot. He found himself bringing a hand up behind his neck, a slight tic the Captain had when he was nervous. "The suit...making me useful...getting Amy back...I appreciate all of it."

"I'm just doing my job, Cap." She was as calm and collected as always, but Steve could see a little something flicker in her eyes. Happiness, perhaps? Possibly even a little embarrassment.

"...You're a good sister and a good friend, Riley." He spoke with utmost sincerity, wanting the typically cold woman to at least know she w_as_ appreciated.

What happened next floored the young captain, however. Riley actually bowed her head to the side, trying to hide her pink cheeks with her thick mop of hair.

"I...um..." In a rare role reversal, Riley was at a loss for words. Before the engineer could say anything, or even register what Steve was doing, he closed the space in between them, catching the lithe woman in a fierce bear hug.

Steve only cut the notion short when a crash came from the kitchen, letting the woman go and looking in the direction of the noise.

"I need to-"

Riley cut him off. "I know. Just go."

The soldier didn't hesitate, and left the blushing Riley behind.

"Thank you..._Steve."_ She couldn't help but genuinely smile as she turned and left.

* * *

Upon finding a fallen Amy sprawled out on the kitchen floor, Steve refused to take 'no' for an answer on the matter of helping the brunette to bed. After setting the brunette down gently on her bed, he made for Amy's bathroom to get a cloth to clean the dirt and blood off of her face.

However, while busying himself with the task at hand, he was kept getting thrown off at the young woman changing out of her tattered uniform practically in front of him

Putting his own awkwardness aside, though, he sat down beside Amy and gently tilted her head towards him. As began to wipe away all the blood and dirt, Amy let out an almost humorless laugh.

"Seems like déjà vu right now, doesn't it?"

Steve didn't meet her eyes, but his brows knitted in tell-tale confusion. "...What?"

She tucked her hair out of the way as she tilted her head. "I mean we've been here before. About...what...a week ago now? Before I left."

Oh. So she hadn't completely forgotten. His lips curved into a small, bashful smile. "Yeah. I still can't really get that out of my head."

Amy's eyes widened slightly in surprise. Suddenly feeling very sheepish, she turned away from the soldier's intense gaze. "I..ah..I'm sorry about that. You seemed so..so crestfallen after I laughed at you. I thought you could use the perk up, you know?"

Steve swallowed hard. So it h_adn't_ been serious. "Oh...yeah. That makes sense too."

In that moment, Amy felt too guilty to make any more eye contact with the super soldier. She kept her line of sight focused somewhere else, not wanting to see the inevitable look of sadness in his blue eyes. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for you to take that kiss quite so seriously. I felt bad for acting the way I did that night and I thought it'd be a harmless...y'know..._thing_."

Steve sighed as he held a clean portion of the cloth to Amy's busted nose, trying to ebb the blood still oozing out of her left nostril. "Just close your eyes and relax."

Amy did as he asked, not wanting to dive any further into that conversation.

The pair sat in silence while he worked, with Steve frowning at the new information stuck in his head the entire time.

* * *

Deciding that his handiwork was the best he could possibly do, he sat back and looked her face over one last time. "Looks good to me. It's...not really as bad as last time, actually."

Finally, it was Amy's turn to smile. "I appreciate this, Steve. I really do."

"You're welcome, Amy." He made to get up and make his exit, but deciding to go with his gut, turned to the brunette a final time. "Oh, one last thing."

_He had to take a chance, whether it ended well or not for him._

_He had to honestly know if that night had been just a fluke._

"What is i-" Amy's thought was cut off by soft, seldom touched lips pressing against her own. Steve was much more of a cautious, innocent kisser than she was - as if he were afraid that she'd pull away and turn him down.

And it seemed that would be the case tonight. Amy made no move to return the kiss. Time seemed to slow down for Steve, and the blonde began to panic. This had been a terrible idea. Spontaneity had never been his strong suit, and the one time he decided to really give it a shot...

He wasn't expecting the response he actually received, however. When the fact that Steve had _actually_ made the move to kiss her registered in Amy's tired mind, it was all the spark she needed. The brunette quickly kissed the captain back with fervor, arms snaking around his shoulders and fingers finding their way into his hair. The motion caused Steve to push back with just a little too much force, pinning Amy between him and the headboard and sending a small crack through the wood.

He pulled away when the brunette grunted in pain, ashamed of his own strength. Cheeks flushing further from embarrassment, he spoke "Amy I didn't mean to-"

Amy didn't give him a chance to finish the thought, pulling him into another, equally intense lip lock. Steve couldn't help but fall into it, bracing himself with one knee and hand on the bed and the other on Amy's leg. Once the fog began to clear from his mind slightly, he attempted to pull away again.

"Amy I didn-" Steve tried to reason with the agent, wanting to slow down and not let things get out of hand. While he his head knew that it was the right thing to do, his body had very different intentions...

And apparently, so did Amy.

The brunette didn't respond and simply bit down on the soldier's bottom lip, pulling lightly and earning a highly satisfied '_mmmph_' from him. When she let go of his lip, Steve rested his forehead against Amy's; his nose barely touching hers.

Finally, _finally_, she her eyes drifted up to meet his. "I..I meant that." He nuzzled her nose slightly, rare satisfied grin out in full force. "Me too." He spoke slowly, trying to steady his breathing and not get overly excited.

Looking up at him with those bedroom eyes as he pulled away, she smirked. "You're just lucky my leg happened to be this busted."

And then came the uncontrollable blushing on Steve's end. She _didn't_ mean...did she? How could she joke about _that_?

The soldier quickly stood to make his exit. "I-er- really s-should go. I'll be in my room." He made a beeline for the door.

However, Amy caught him just before he could turn the corner.

"Steve?"

The blonde turned around slowly to look at the agent. Amy was biting her lip, looking up at him...pleadingly? He really couldn't read the her expression.

"Yes, Amy?" He gave her a tired smile.

"Please, don't leave me tonight."

...He couldn't say no.

* * *

Zatknis = roughly 'shut the fuck up' in Russian

I hope that's a little better than the previous chapter 6.

xBreeze

_**P.S. I've been asked this a few times, so I'll restate it here. All three of my OC stories are linked, even if it doesn't seem like it right now. **_**They will be. So if you like my OC's, be sure to check them all out!**


	7. Chapter 7 - A Quick Note

_Hi, all!_

_I know it's been like, twelve eternities since I've updated, but here's what's going down:_

_I had kind of hit a snag with this story after my last update. I really was not pleased with how my Chapter 6 turned out, and I was unhappy with the direction my OC was headed and it made my writing come to a standstill with this story.  
_

_That being said, I've_

_**completely **rewritten Chapter 6 and I've changed it from the last one. I do have the original Chapter 6 saved, if anyone wants it/wants to chop it up for their own stories/etc. **If you want a copy of the original Chapter 6, just pm me.**_

_So where is_

_**Chapter 7**, you ask? Well, it's getting the finishing touches put on it as I update this story. **You can expect Chapter 7 either late tonight or early tomorrow, and it will take the place of this note.** I am on Eastern Standard Time in the U.S., so please keep that in mind._

_That being said,_

_**I will include this note at the top of Chapter 7**, as a reminder to check out the new Chapter 6. I'm not sure this story will make sense anymore if you haven't read that chapter. So really, you're getting a double update even if the time frame is a little spaced out._

_Thanks for reading and sticking with me guys, you're all wonderful. :)_  
_xBreeze_


	8. First Dates and Old Flames

_I know it's been like, twelve eternities since I've updated, but here's what's going down:_

_I had kind of hit a snag with this story after my last update. I really was not pleased with how my Chapter 6 turned out, and I was unhappy with the direction my OC was headed and it made my writing come to a standstill with this story.  
_

_That being said, I've **completely **rewritten Chapter 6 and I've changed it from the last one. I do have the original Chapter 6 saved, if anyone wants it/wants to chop it up for their own stories/etc. **If you want a copy of the original Chapter 6, just pm me.**_

_That being said, **I will include this note at the top of Chapter 7**, as a reminder to check out the new Chapter 6. I'm not sure this story will make sense anymore if you haven't read that chapter. So really, you're getting a double update even if the time frame is a little spaced out._

Thanks for reading and sticking with me guys, you're all wonderful. Special thanks to WhatsGoingOn, ren-hatake, Archer83, Vergil1989 the Crossover King, blown-transistor, ym4yum1, Plague's Vengeance, A Contradiction, Poodle warriors, Andi Andrews, LoVin tHIs fIc, Lionhearted21, Purple 'N' Blue Wings, Amber-Jade James, Ravenclaw Slytherin and the guest for reviewing! You all keep me going and constantly make my day! Seriously. :)

* * *

Bliss was not something Steven Grant Rogers thought about very often.

But when he did, he often thought about bliss in terms the way things used to be. He really hadn't wanted too much: a chance in the military, a woman that loved him (it wouldn't hurt if she'd been a looker) to make his wife, children to give a better life than he'd had...

It really did cause a pang in his heart sometimes, knowing that his white picket fence version of the American dream would more than likely never happen, especially not with Peggy.

However, the soldier would be lying to himself if he said that he didn't feel blissful at this very moment, as surreal as the situation he was currently in was. The ceiling fan tickled his hot skin with a slight breeze of cool air. The bed itself was warm as well from a rare night of deep, peaceful sleep...

...Not to mention the warmth of the body beside him that was currently nestled into his side and laying on his outstretched arm, tangled in the sheets with him.

Yes, he'd finally caved. Steve hadn't been able to leave Amy's bed last night like he'd promised he would. He didn't have the willpower to.

He should have felt ashamed of the near-euphoric state he was in; for sleeping in the same bed with a woman he wasn't in any sort of relationship with (according to her) as of yesterday. However, the contentment he was currently experiencing was overriding any logic and guilt he would have normally felt.

The blonde shifted a little to get a better look a the sleeping woman. Amy happened to be a light sleeper, though. She stirred at the movement and lazily draped an arm over Steve's chest and drew her leg up, tangling the sheets more and resting her leg on his hip and across his waist. The skin on skin contact where his shirt had ridden up caused a groan that he quickly stifled for fear of waking the brunette up.

How had he let himself get into such a predicament? Better yet, why was it so hard to remain a gentleman around this woman?

Steve really had no clue, but what he did know was just how badly he wanted to touch the lightly tanned, smooth skin on the sculpted leg resting on him. He wouldn't mind touching her skin everywhere, to be honest.

And not just with his fingers.

His cheeks felt hot at the thought of it.

Still, not being able to resist temptation, the soldier let one finger lightly trace the length of Amy's leg, marveling at the softness of her skin. He let his fingers drag all the way up to her shorts, just barely slipping underneath the hem, and back down again.

This woman was temptation personified. His mother would have been ashamed.

"Enjoying yourself?"

The voice made Steve jump, making him bolt upright. The next thing that registered was a loud thunk and a yelp. Looking over, he noticed the brunette tangled in the sheets on the floor. She was holding the back of her head, groaning, and looking around the room in confusion.

The blonde had tossed her backward with so much force that she'd knocked her side table over.

"Oh God, Amy, I am so sorry." Steve hurried over to her side. He could have sworn he saw a faint flash of red in her eyes. Shaking it off as his eyes just seeing things, placed a large hand on the brunette's shoulder. "I wouldn't ever hur-"

"I know, Steve. It was an accident, and I'm okay." The brunette smiled at him, only faltering when she winced while rubbing her head. "Just a little more surprised than anything. Help me up?" She extended her hand and he took it, pulling her upright again.

"You know, I wouldn't have asked you to stay last night if I had a problem with you touching me." Amy was upfront and honest with Steve as she massaged the back of her head.

Steve's eyes widened with that little statement, really not knowing how to respond to it. Women in his time would have been mortified by the looser set of morals Amy had.

And with the way he was acting, he would have more than likely been slapped more than once by said women, serum or no serum.

"I just...I don't want you to think I'm disrespecting you or our friendship, Amy. I like you, I really do, and I want to treat you like you should be treated." He let his eyes glanced around the room, at anything but her, embarrassed by his rambling on the very intimate topic.

Why did this all have to be so confusing?

Looking back at the brunette, he found something else even more strange about the brunette. "Amy...your face."

The agent instantly brought her hand around from her head to her face, worried at what the blonde saw. "Is there something wrong?"

"No...well...I mean...all of your cuts and bruises are gone."

Amy's felt a wave of nausea come over her, and tried to quickly come up with a diversion. With a nervous chuckle, she spoke. "I guess they weren't as bad as you thought?" _Well, that wasn't stupid at all_. "Why don't you help me up and I'll make us some breakfast."

Steve did as he was asked, instantly brightening at the prospect of food.

* * *

Amy didn't even have to look at Steve to know that something was brewing in his mind. The agent did want to know what was going on in there, but she didn't want to ask him point blank and have him clam up, either.

That being said, the brunette minded her own business, continuing to clean up breakfast while the captain sat at the bar, eyebrows knitted in thought. He had not even offered to help with the dishes as he usually did, so Amy was a little concerned just what was going on in that head of his.

She kept going about her routine, not saying anything, and left the blonde to his seemingly deep thoughts. Amy figured it had to do with last night, and possibly the incident this morning.

The agent was not expecting what Steve actually ended up asking, though. "Willyougoonadatewithme?" Steve spoke rapidly, mumbling the entire question.

Amy turned to face him. "Excuse me?"

Steve took a deep breath, trying to will himself to slow down. "Would you...maybe...like to go on a date...with me?"

The brunette stood there in stunned silence, looking at the soldier. _That's_ what he was getting so worked up about?

Steve took the silence as a rejection, and ducking his head, he began to ramble. "I mean I completely understand if you don't want to, but I just thought I'd ask..."

Amy chuckled and shook her head. She really didn't see any harm in a casual date, especially with someone like Steve. "Sure. Why not?"

The look on Steve's face said it all.

* * *

"You're sure about taking this out?" Amy looked at the Harley-Davidson the her housemate had taken an interest in and had bought on the spot. It wasn't that she didn't trust Steve fully, but she was used to being the driver in any given situation.

_Especially_ when it came to bikes.

"Positive...unless you'd like me to give your vehicle a try." He spoke as innocently as possible.

Amy looked from the bike to Steve, her expression completely deadpan. "When hell freezes over, Steve. When hell freezes over." He grinned, fully aware of all the technology he'd accidentally broken to cause such a response, and moved to get on the bike. He liked how natural their teasing felt. He especially liked how pouty her ruby painted lips were tonight, but he'd save those thoughts for another time.

_Hopefully_.

In one smooth motion, he swung one long leg over the bike, and looked at the brunette expectantly after seating himself. "You're still coming with me...right?"

The brunette nodded, but turned in the opposite direction. "Give me a moment. I just remembered something." She was gone in a flash and returned almost as quickly, carrying something leather in her arms.

"What is that?"

"It was my grandfather's." She smiled as she unfolded the old, yet pristine leather bomber jacket with delicate hands. "He wore this throughout World War II...and then some." Amy handed the jacket over to Steve, who was just as careful with it.

"Amy, I can't take this..."

The agent shook her head. "Nonsense. He'd want you to have it."

Slipping it on as if it'd fall apart, the blonde found himself almost overtaken by nostalgia. So many memories came flooding back, and he found himself reveling in them. He was so taken aback, he didn't even register the brunette climbing on the back of the bike.

"Ready, Captain?" She leaned against his back, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"Just lead the way."

* * *

"Ah...so this is a 'club' now..." To say Steve was out of his element was an understatement. The always conservatively dressed blonde glanced around the place critically, not sure of all the bright lights and the pervasive smell of sweat. The loud, unpleasant music that pounded in his ear and rattled his chest did not help, either.

Steve was disappointed in how things had changed. This place was so much less...classy...than the joints he'd been accustomed to in his day. The music was less profound and more artificial, and he really couldn't say anything different about the women. While beautiful, everything around him seemed so false.

The soldier was brought out of his thoughts when he felt a tap on his shoulder. Shaking his head and looking to his side, down toward his brunette companion who was looking at him expectantly, relieved that at least someone was familiar in this situation.

"I said are you sure you want to be here?! You don't seem too thrilled!" Amy was shouting and still being drowned out by the pounding bass of the music.

"I'll survive, even if my hearing doesn't!" He had asked to go out, so he could make it through this, right? At least he had Amy there.

"I guess, this isn't really my scene either!" Steve noticed Amy seemed visibly uncomfortable at the closeness of all the people in the building, and that she seemed to move closer and closer to him as more time passed. The pair seemed awkward and out of place in a sea of people focused on dancing up against each other.

The blonde hated to back out of something he'd proposed, but this was all too much.

"Do you think we could go somewhere a little...quieter?!" He deliberately left out the part about _'before my eardrums burst', _but he doubted Amy would hear it anyway.

"I think I have a better idea."

* * *

"Now this..._this _is a club." The blonde marveled as he looked around the vintage, 1940's style club. He truly felt as if he'd never left his own time, and his senses were hungrily absorbing as much as possible.

Amy nodded, glad that they didn't have to shout to be heard here. "It was inspired by the old Stork Club that was big in the thirties and forties. The original one closed in the sixties, I believe."

Steve found himself grinning at the fact that the brunette knew about the Stork Club. "That was _the _place to bring a dame, back in my day."

The brunette laughed, nudging her 'date' in the slightly. "Why, you make it seem as if you're going on a hundred, Mr. Rogers." Amy looked at him sweetly to show that she was joking, and he looked away bashfully. Sensing his discomfort, Amy decided to ease his embarrassment a little. As a slow number with a piano began to play, Amy looked to the blonde with a smile on her face. "Would you like to dance?"

Steve looked at her oddly. "I thought I was supposed to ask that?"

Amy's smile broke out into a full grin. "Steve, it's 2012. It's really not that big a deal."

The blonde's ears suddenly felt hot. "I forgot about that...'

Without another word, the Amy grabbed her companion and pulled him on to the fairly empty dance floor. In fact, the entire place was fairly empty. Steve could really do nothing aside from stand there awkwardly, not knowing what to do. "I...ah...I don't know how to really do this exactly."

"Dance?"

"Yeah..." God, this was humiliating.

He was getting hypnotized by her closeness, which did nothing to ease his embarrassment. "I thought you meant the _other _thing when you said you hadn't found the right partner." She was being discrete, keeping her voice low, and for that he was truly thankful.

Steve was sure he was blushing up a storm. Could he just go through the floor right now? That would be a blessing. "I mean both. I don't know to dance _either _way."

Expected laughter, or even possibly a small jab thrown his way, Steve prepared himself for the worst. The reaction he got from Amy, however, surprised him. "Well, would you like to learn?"

Without thinking his response through, he quickly answered. "Which kind of dancing?"

Amy grinned broadly at the captain. "Well, both if you'd like, but I meant the one that won't get us arrested for public indecency right now." She winked at him again to emphasize her point.

Steve looked at Amy wide-eyed, fairly sure he was dreaming.

The young woman placed her hands on the the soldier's shoulders and moved in close. "Just put your hands on my waist." Amy could tell he wasn't sure what to do with his hands or feet.

The young captain did so with caution, not wanting to overstep his boundaries.

"Now what?"

Amy rested her head against his shoulder, clearly not nervous like he was.

"Now it's your turn to lead. I'm sure you know how, Captain."

* * *

After what felt like an entirely too short time to Steve, the song ended, and Amy pulled away from him to find a secluded table. Not wanting to be left standing there alone on the dance floor, the blonde quickly followed behind her, drunk from the all the close contact with this woman.

Steve caught up to her finally, and offered his arm for the brunette to take. Surprisingly, she did, with no protests like he'd have normally expected. They made their way back to a booth that was selcuded from everything else with the intention of talking in private.

However, their current agenda would not play out like they thought.

"Amy?" A familiar voice with a distinct British accent spoke the brunette's name, causing her to turn on her heel to face it.

The last person she had expected to see standing there was Evan Carter standing there with a wide grin on his handsome face, staring down at her.

"Ev? What're you doing here?!" The agent stared wide-eyed at the man before her. It was obvious to Steve that this was a happy surprise for the brunette, and he couldn't help but feel a little jealous and how comfortable they pair was with each other.

Amy stepped away from Steve for the moment, throwing her arms around the other man in a fierce hug. His light scruff scratched her cheek. "It's been too long!"

Okay, maybe Steve was more than a little jealous. Not just with his interaction with Amy, but just how modern and comfortable the young man looked in his surroundings.

Upon letting go, Evan tucked his free hand into his peacoat pocket, drawing himself back up to his full height. He was of similar build and height to Steve, although not quite as muscular and slightly shorter. The other man's features were generally darker than the super soldier's. "I guess you could say I'm here on business for awhile."

"What about your grandmother?"

"My grandmum insisted that she was fine by herself and that I come back for awhile. You know how independent she likes to be." He spoke with a small huff in his deep voice, but never lost his smile.

Amy then turned to the super solider. "Steve, this is my longtime friend, Evan." She pointed a thumb towards the male with wild, windswept hair and an elegant, aquiline nose. We were roommates in college, and my grandfather and his grandmother, Margaret Carter, were in service together."

Amy's eyes widened when the pieces fell into place, but she wasn't the only one. In what felt like an electric shock running through his body, Steve realized exactly who he was staring at and why this man's face looked to familiar.

_This was Peggy's grandson._

It took every fiber in the soldier's being not to lose his composure as Amy and Evan continued to talk. It had been odd enough to meet Colonel Phillip's granddaughter, but Peggy's grandson as well? It was enough to make the soldier feel completely out of place.

He was a relic, a thing of the past, existing among the progeny of people who were now just memories to him.

"It's nice to meet you," The dark haired male stuck a hand out once more, with bight blue eyes studying the blonde's face as if he'd seen him before. "Steve..."

Steve took his hand. "Rogers. Steve Rogers." He shook it firmly, possibly a little more firmly than he should have.

When the two broke the handshake, Evan looked back at Amy once more, taking in the sight of the brunette just a little too hungrily for Steve's liking. "I should be going. I have an early morning tomorrow." Evan leaned in once more toward the brunette, pulling her in close for another hug. As he leaned in, he made sure to speak low enough so that the super soldier couldn't hear him and close enough to Amy that his warm breath tickled her ear. "It's a shame that guy is here, I wouldn't have minded catching up...like we used to."

He kept moving after that, giving his former lover one last smile and nodding his head at Steve as he left.

Amy and Steve stood there in awkward silence for a moment, unsure of what to say to each other.

Steve was the one that finally broke the silence. "Want to find that table now?"

"Yeah." Amy nodded slowly. "Yeah, let's do that."

* * *

Despite running into Evan earlier, Steve still thought the night had gone well. The pair had found a nice, private table away from anyone else in the club, and each of them had enjoyed the other's company. Steve had even taken to flirting with Amy a little, including putting an arm around her and stealing a few quick kisses as the night pressed on.

This night would not end so well, however.

As they left the club late that evening to walk back to Steve's Harley, a figure caught Amy's eye, and not for the first time. In fact, the shady young male had literally been everywhere the couple had been that night. Amy had kept an eye out for him the entire night, instantly suspicious of him. Every time she had made eye contact with him, the guy had taken disappeared as quickly as she saw him, tucking the camera phone he'd had out away.

Now that he was under the street lamp, Amy could see his face clearly. She knew exactly who he was. He was one of Luchkov's men, and one of the only ones that had escaped her the first time she'd had an encounter with the group. The same guy was currently taking pictures of Steve's Harley, and Amy had enough of it. She was intent on destroying that phone, and possibly the man himself.

"I'll be right back." The agent sped up ahead of Steve, tailing the guy behind around a corner and into an alleyway. Before the kid was even aware that he was being followed, Amy had him by the collar and pinned up against the brick wall. She took a step forward, crushing the device that had fallen to the ground beneath her riding boot.

"Tell me right now why you're following us, and I'll consider not killing you." Amy's voice was dripping with poison, and the kid was shaking. He looked no more than twenty, and was staring at the brunette with fear in his eyes.

"They didn't tell me you were the monster!" His voice carried a thick Russian accent. "Please, _please _don't kill me. I was under order!" He shouts weren't heard in the bustle of the crowd.

Amy's grip only tightened around the kid's neck. "I'll ask one more time. What. Were. The. Pictures. For?" The kid could see the red in the woman's eyes and quivered. He was fairly sure his life would be forfeit.

About that time Steve rounded the corner, seeing Amy sling the kid to the ground. "Amy, stop! He's just a kid."

"General Luchkov demanded that I take the photos." Terror was evident in the male's voice. "I had to! He has my mother."

"But painting a target on our back's is fine?"

"I-I..."

Amy's eyes narrowed. "Am I right? A life for a life? I think that sounds appropriate right now." The agent reared back to land a mortally wounding blow, not wanting to leave anyone associated to Luchkov alive. However, Steve restrained her. The woman was incredibly strong - much stronger than Steve had anticipated - and found himself using quite a bit of force to hold her back. He kept Amy pinned close to his body, with his large arms wrapped around her entire form.

The kid wasted no time in fleeing from the alley, away from the demonic woman and her blood red eyes.

"Let me go! He's going to compromise us both!"

"He's just a kid, Amy! He doesn't deserve to die like that!" Steve didn't like letting an enemy get away, but at the same time, he was still human. There was no point in senseless killing like this.

"You're a soft-hearted fool, Rogers!" Her other half was seeping through. "And it's going to get us killed."

Steve could only ignore the insults and continue to hold the brunette, willing her to calm down.

* * *

The brunette came flying through the door from the garage into the house, wanting to get as far away from Steve as possible. The ride home had been incredibly awkward, and she did not feel like facing the blonde any more.

"Amy, can we at least talk about what happened back there? You almost killed that kid!"

Amy turned to look at the captain, surprise and confusion written across his face. "And what would you have done, exactly? Take a chance and let him run back to Luchkov with God knows what kind of information on us?"

The blonde looked at Amy critically. "So your solution is just to snuff him out? Letting him live sends a pretty bold message back to this Luchkov guy, that you're coming for him. Killing his people left and right is only going to make him angrier!" Steve was opposed to killing if at all possible, and this case was no different.

The agent glared at Steve, but he refused to back down. "Oh, really? So what do you propose that I do, then? Give them my home address and invite them over for tea after I rough them up?"

Steve shook his head, not liking how quickly the brunette's personality had changed. "You know that's not what I meant." He shot back at Amy, not willing to change his opinion. "You don't have to be so ruthless and cold, Amy." When she turned her back to him to head up the stairs to her room, the captain spoke once more, voice and expression softening. "You don't have to hold me at arms length, either."

Amy's back visibly straightened and her fists clenched. While she knew somewhere deep down that the comment was not intended to be cruel, it still cut deep. So, Amy retaliated the only way she knew how: anger. The brunette whipped around, slamming her hands down on the banister. The wood groaned in protest, and Steve could only stare at the agent with wide eyes.

Yes, Amy's skin seemed to have paled considerably, providing a stark contrast to her crimson eyes. She locked eyes with the captain, and spoke with a venom he hadn't ever heard from her before. "You don't get it, Rogers! This is not the black and white world that you're used to! _Everyone _is out to get me in my line of work, and _no one_ can be trusted!" Amy turned her head to the side, gritting her teeth and gripping the banister tighter. "I don't let _anyone_ in, because I _don't_ want them to get hurt too. I don't want more _innocent_ blood _my_ hands."

Steve stood in shocked silence, hardly able to process the brunette's words due to the deep red eyes staring him down. The next words he uttered were meant to be more to himself than anything else, but Amy still heard them clearly. "Amy...what _are_ you?"

Amy looked down at her hands, not understanding what the captain meant. When she saw the milk white color of her skin, though, she more than knew what was going on. Her mouth opened and closed in a failed attempt to form words, so the brunette did what she did best in a non-physical confrontation.

She ran.

* * *

After changing into something more comfortable to sleep in, Amy flopped across her bed, staring at the ceiling. Anger and sadness clouded her mind, but there was something else there. It bothered her that she and Steve were arguing. What was worse, though, was just how much it hurt that he seemed so disappointed in her.

Her thoughts were only interrupted by her cell phone ringing.

Hitting the button to answer the call, she placed the device up to her ear. "I'm really hoping for some good news, Phil." With a call coming in this late, the young agent was sure it was anything but.

"The Colorado base is gone." His voice was as stoic as ever, not giving Amy any other clues. Still, Amy shot up from her lounging position, not believing what she was hearing. "...Care to run that by me again?"

"We had a visitor. Another Asgardian. He took down the base and made off with the cube as well as Dr. Selvig."

The young woman felt positively sick. "And what of Phase 2? What about Commander Fury? Is he okay? Are _you_ okay?" Any was instantly worried over the safety of her long time partner.

"Phase 2 has been successfuly moved and is en route to the hellicarrier. Everyone's still breathing but..."

Amy swallowed. "But what?"

"Agent Barton has been compromised."

The young agent felt her blood run cold. "...Have you told Natasha?" She knew the partners were much closer than either would ever admit, so this had to be devastating for the lethal redhead.

"She's on the way back to the states as we speak."

"And what of Luchkov?"

"This is a level seven. He can wait."

Amy's stomach promptly twisted into a knot, her ill-fated night with Steve now the furthest thing from her mind. "And what about you?"

"I'll be in New York by 7:30 a.m. to collect you." Amy glanced over at the alarm clock that read 1:47 a.m. in bright green letters and groaned.

"And what, pray tell, are we going to be doing that early?" She had a bad feeling that she knew what Phil was about to say...

"We're going to go get Stark."

That statement said, older agent stayed silent, politely holding on to the line while his partner let loose a string of curse words. When she finally composed herself enough to speak, she let Phil have it. "Are you crazy?! Stark fucking hates me for what happened to Riley. You know as well as I do how well this is going to go."

"Mrs. Hogan will be there, too" Pepper's new surname took a few moments to register on the brunette's brain. "It'll give us an distinct advantage to go as a team."

Amy sighed. "Why can't I just fill Steve in?"

"Fury's going to take care of that himself, and Natasha's going to retrieve Dr. Banner. That leaves us to get ahold of Stark. I will see you in the morning."

The line went dead and Amy fell back against her pillow, aggravated that Phil never gave her the chance for a rebuttal in these situations. She growled in frustration as she flicked the light off, needing to get to bed.

Tomorrow was going to be _hell_.

* * *

Some time later, Steve was reasonably sure that he had finally figured out was he was going to say to Amy. He'd been standing at her door for at least twenty minutes, debating whether or not this was the right time to try and make up or not. The solider finally forced himself to rap on the door lightly, pushing it open further when he received no response after calling her name.

Amy had her back to the young captain, and her breathing seemed steady. Steve figured she was asleep, but decided to try one more time. "Amy, are you awake?"

Still nothing.

The blonde sighed, feeling more than a little hopeless. "I'm sorry things ended the way they did tonight. I didn't want any of that to happen. Tonight was supposed to be special..." He glanced around the dark room. "This date meant a lot to me, and I'm lucky that you even said yes to it in the first place. I just...I'd never seen that side of you, Amy, and I didn't know what to do."

Little did he know, Amy was wide awake and listening to every move he made. She was trained to be sly and sneaky, and this moment was no exception. Even if not, she was wide awake, worried about the entire situation that was brewing. She'd actually heard him pacing outside of her door well before he even knocked. The agent had been faking sleep, down to controlling her breathing pattern, ever since she'd first heard his footfalls.

There was no point in trying to talk to him now. Amy had no idea how to respond to anything the blonde had said, so she'd taken the coward's way out in this situation.

After a seemingly endless silence, the agent had finally assumed the soldier had left.  
That would not be the case, however.

Instead of leaving, Steve did the exact opposite. Amy felt a heavy weight sink into the other side of the bed. What was he planning on doing, exactly?

Before she could even think of an answer, the young soldier silently answered it for her. She heard him sliding under the covers and shortly after felt two strong arms snake around her waist. His body conformed to hers, and Steve found himself nuzzling his nose into the brunette's hair.

"It doesn't matter who or what you are to me," He murmured near her ear, barely above a whisper. "as long as you're Amy."

Amy refused to make a noise, but Steve's words and actions were all she needed to be sent over the edge. Tears rolled freely from the agent's eyes, streaking her face and wetting her pillow.

In this cold, cruel, dangerous world, Steven Rogers was quickly becoming her light in the darkness.

* * *

Ooh, you're going to hate me for the next chapter if you don't hate me now. I can feel it. :D

If you like Amy, just remember that all if my OC stories are linked and she'll probably pop up in one or more of them. Also, Welcome Changes is the official prequel to this story, so if you like Riley... ;)

Anyway. Review and let me know what you think. I hope to hear from you all! Reviews keep me going! ***Reviews also let me know if you all want to see more, and will make me update quicker***

Till next time!  
xBreeze


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